


The Broken Rejoice

by Beast_of_the_Horde



Category: Split (2016)
Genre: Animal Metaphors, Cannibalism, F/F, Fluff, Past Abuse, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-25 00:43:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 49,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14367240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beast_of_the_Horde/pseuds/Beast_of_the_Horde
Summary: Starting directly after the events of Split, Casey Cooke returns home with her uncle. All the while, The Horde is searching for the girl who's heart is pure.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Split is a film that really helped me get through some things. I started writing this fanfiction last summer and just recently finished it. I adore Casey Cooke and I wanted to give her a happy ending before Glass comes out. This is my first time writing a fanfiction ever so I hope it's ok! I took out the Unbreakable connection so I could better focus on the characters from Split. The characters and concepts belong to M Night Shyamalan!

"Your uncle is here. You ready to go?" 

The police officer had said that two days ago. That day was the loudest day of Casey Cooke's life. Louder than when Casey had shouted at her high school history teacher to "blow her" In the middle of class and left that woman stunned, gasping for words. Two days ago was even louder than when Casey turned thirteen and sobbed alone, curled up in her closet, dry-heaving, because for the first time she fully grasped exactly what her uncle had done to her. 

Two days ago, Casey cried inside a cell underneath the Philadelphia Zoo, fully believing she was going to die in the most excruciating way. She would be eaten alive by an animal, because she was to be his sacred food. Bite sized chunks of skin and tissue would be torn away from her body until his hands pried her abdomen apart and her guts were pulled outside of her. Casey's only solace was that it wouldn't hurt worse than the parallel event that happened when she was a five year old. All those years ago, she wasn't loud at all. When her uncle pretended to be an animal and ate up her whole life, Casey's attempt at being loud ended with him snatching the shotgun away from her little hands and then later watching her father die of a heart attack. In death, Casey would have nothing to hold on to aside from the constant sharp pain of her life. 

Two days ago, Casey did not die. The memory of the animal, The Beast, pulling apart the bars of the cage separating them, his burning black eyes scalding her as her own blood seeped from the cracks in his teeth, made Casey tremble in dread. This Beast, he who was supposed to eat her and vicariously end her misery, told Casey that "her heart was pure." He saw the scars of abuse and self harm marring her stomach and shoulders. He looked up at her with hope and adoration, tears welling up in his eyes and falling freely from hers as the two souls shared an emotion that was uniquely theirs and indescribable. That moment, "rejoice," was now so loud in Casey's mind, that when the officer informed the girl of her uncle's arrival at the crime scene, her own beast was born within her. 

"Thank you." Casey said, smiling softly. With that, she was escorted by the policewoman into the waiting arms of uncle John. He held her tightly and cried. The giant man's greying beard scratched her face. Casey could hardly feel the course hair's sting, so she smiled. The sound of tigers roaring in the distance and birds chirping all around helped sweep Casey's spirit away.

\---

During the drive home, uncle John bombarded Casey with questions that the police officers had already asked many times and she had already answered many times.

"How did he kidnap you?" 

"He knocked us unconscious with a chloroform spray." 

"Why didn't you run away before he could do that?" 

"I was scared." 

"Did he rape you or the other girls?" 

"No." 

"Are you lying? Are you trying to protect him?" 

"No. None of us were raped." 

"How many split personalities did he have?" 

"I only met eight." 

"Your saying he got away? How the fuck did he survive two direct shotgun blasts?" 

"He isn't human." 

"Bullshit. You missed his vitals. Someone will kill that psycho fucker. How did you survive?" 

"He let me live because he felt like we were the same." 

Pulling up to her uncle's house and slipping out of his truck, Casey immediately noticed her change of perception. No longer did she look at the isolated unkempt one-story house surrounded by a dirt yard and feel nauseated. Numbness replaced the sickness Casey would normally feel coming home from school or being brought back after a run-away attempt. She remembered looking into the dark windows as her uncle would drag her small body inside, knowing that behind those windows, he would be beating her and burning her with cigarettes and nobody would know about it or be able to save her. 

"Everything in your room is still there." Uncle John said, holding the door open for Casey. 

"Thanks." She said, stepping inside.

The interior of the house was the same as she remembered it before Casey was kidnapped by the Horde, aside from a increase in the amount of filth and beer cans scattered on the floor. The walls were fake wood and the ceiling was low, making the whole living room oppressive and dark. The mounted antlers of uncle John's trophy bucks were still placed adoringly over his big dusty chair. The flatscreen exclusively used for news and sports had another set of antlers over it. Casey walked past it all and into the kitchen to look out one of the tiny windows overlooking the backyard. Casey spotted the lone tree where her swing was, now only hanging up by one rope, and remembered the hours she spent out there by herself. Those hours were the best moments of her early life, she used to think. Ants would carry things through the grass below her dangling feet and chipmunks would scuffle in the yard around her. She used to imagine being an animal with a simple life and nothing sinister to fear. 

Uncle John leaned against the kitchen door, making it creek loudly, jarring Casey away from her memories.

"If you need anything Casey-bear I'll be watching tv OK?" He said tentatively. 

"Ok." Casey said, turning to face him. 

He looked away quickly and nodded before making his way back to the living room. 

Casey went down the poorly lit hallway into her room, not caring to shut the door behind her. Her room was a mess, just how she had left it. Her closet was wide open and clothes spilled carelessly from the hamper. The pink, peeling wallpaper curled over the small mirror on her dresser. Casey switched off the horrid buzzing fluorescent ceiling light and opened her curtain to let in the overcast day. On her windowsill were her only personal objects: a small photo of a dark haired woman, her mother, whom she never knew, a picture of her dad and uncle and her from when Casey was three with her uncle scratched out from the image, and a bracelet Casey had made with a very small metal cross on it. The bracelet was similar to the rosary she was currently wearing around her wrist. Casey gathered her objects and held them close to her as she leaned back into her bed. The springs in her mattress made an ugly noise and she could feel them dig into her. Casey almost laughed remembering how much more comfortable the cots underneath the zoo were. She started to feel tired and for ten minutes felt her self drifting in and out of sleep, until from the living room, Casey heard the television switch to the news. 

"Breaking news: Three confirmed dead as killer terrorizes the city. Just this morning, a gruesome tragedy took place underneath the Philadelphia Zoo. Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man confirmed to have multiple personalities or dissociative identity disorder, was responsible for the kidnaping of the three teenage girls earlier in the week. He held them captive underneath the Zoo where he worked as the head of maintenance. Two of the three girls are confirmed dead: Marcia Sula and Claire Benoit. The third girl, Casey Cooke has survived and been safely returned home. The third dead, was Kevin's own psychiatrist: Dr. Karen Fletcher. Despite being wounded, it is believed that the Horde still at large. The city and surrounding towns are on high alert. Kevin is considered to be incredibly dangerous, and if seen, contact police immediately. We are praying for the victims families." 

A wave of grief hit Casey hard. Two girls she knew, and shared this nightmare with, were now dead. They would never be able to feel the comfort of surviving and overcoming this horrible event like Casey could. Marcia and Claire had been ripped apart and devoured like bags of dog food. Casey began to cry. Despite never feeling fond of Claire and her overconfidence, Casey would have never wished such a vile fate on that girl. Claire had fought as hard as she could to escape the Beast, and Casey's heart sank when she remembered looking into the once fiery eyes of Claire and saw complete helplessness before the girl was dragged out of sight. Casey cringed imagining how terrifying Claire's last moments must have been. 

"Why do you do this? Why do you act like this? Why do you act like you're not one of us!?" Those words tore through Casey's brain and still burned with the same venom they did when Claire said them. It was one of those moments where Casey wished she could be loud, admitting everything that had happened to her prior to that moment, but she couldn't. 

"We're not gunna die. Bad things happen, but not like this. Casey, talk to me. We need to get to a window, or a door or something don't you think?" Marcia had said, leaning against the cot and looking at Casey with large, pleading eyes. 

Casey couldn't look back at her. Marcia was one of those girls who was perfectly sweet and competent, but felt like she needed a leader to follow. Marcia's leader was Claire, so naturally Marcia took on all of Claire's catty characteristics. Nonetheless, Casey felt a fondness for Marcia and all her loveliness. Marcia, at her core, was gentle and sincere. Casey began to cry harder as visions of beautiful Marcia, carefree and giggling, walking down the school's hallways amongst her peers, burned through Casey's mind. 

By this point, Casey's crying was loud enough that uncle John entered her room with concern all over his face. He sat beside her on the bed and took one of her hands to hold it. 

"I'm so so sorry Casey. I promise you're safe now. There's no way that guy is going to find you. It's ok." He said in that same, guilt-ridden, falsely reassuring voice he always used to comfort Casey after he would hurt her. 

She squeezed his hand back and whispered "Thank you." 

Uncle John nodded, letting go of Casey's hand, and got up to leave. 

"Uncle, can I ask you for something?" Casey asked suddenly. 

The large man turned around to face his niece. "Yeah of course. Anything." He said, sounding hopeful at the opportunity to win over Casey's favor. 

"I know you won't like this but... tomorrow, or the day after, could we go out to the woods and practice shooting?" 

The hope left uncle John's expression and was was immediately replaced by defensiveness.

"I just want to feel safer." Casey finished cautiously. 

"I- I don't know if that's a good idea, Casey. We haven't been out there since your daddy died. It might bring back bad memories of that, ya know? Also, you know you're a unstable kid right? You've threatened me before and how do I know you won't hurt yourself either?" Uncle John countered, obviously dancing around the other things that happened in those woods. 

"I really want to earn back your trust. You took good care of me all my life and I really abused that. I promise I'm going to do good in school for the rest of this year. No more detention. I'm going to go look for jobs and get my stuff together with getting a drivers license. I feel bad that it had to take me nearly dying to understand all that." Casey lied seamlessly. Her watery, brown eyes looked up to see her uncle completely stunned. 

"You really mean that Casey? You know I never hurt you or nothing now right?" He asked. 

Casey nodded and smiled, letting a tear run down the side of her nose. "I've been upset about losing my dad for years and I've taken it all out on you and everyone else around me without even thinking. I hope you can forgive me." 

Uncle John smiled through his beard and almost looked as if he were about to cry himself. "Alright, in a couple days we can go practice Casey-Bear." With that, he shut the door and left Casey feeling disgusted and elated at the same time. 

\---

Today was the day. Two days since Casey was spared by the Beast. It was five AM and Casey had already packed her things into a backpack. Toothpaste, her toothbrush, three bottles of water, her parents photographs, a notebook she had written in from ages eight to thirteen and hidden inside her mattress, and a few spare undergarments. She was already dressed in her usual boots, leggings, and three layers of shirts. She dressed extra warm knowing what was ahead. Casey took a deep breath, feeling ready, and stepped outside. 

Cold autumn air crashed into Casey, making her dark, curtain-like hair blow back from her face. Her nostrils flared, taking in what she imagined was the scent of freedom. Freedom from pain, like what she figured suicide would feel like, but better because there was no uncertainty like that which came with death. 

There had been no more deaths on the news associated with Kevin Wendell Crumb. As of now, it is unknown where he is but it has been widely encouraged for everyone in the area to be extremely cautious. Uncle John's home was in a town a good few miles away from the city. Still, for the past two days Casey watched police cars restlessly patrol up and down the nearby streets. They stopped by to check on her multiple times, with the girl and her uncle always insisting everything was fine. This morning, it was quiet outside. There were no cops out patrolling this early. 

"Now or never." Casey said aloud to herself. She leaned against the side of the truck and waited. 

Twenty minutes went by before uncle John groggily hobbled out from the house with his shotgun slung over his shoulder. 

"Ready kiddo?" He said, eyeing his niece's sudden eager stance with only minor suspicion. 

"Sure am." Casey chimed back. 

 

The drive was long. The woods where her father took Casey hunting twelve years ago was a good two hour trip from town. Uncle John had been hunting there by himself many times since. It wasn't a well traveled area and that meant it was excellent for the few hunters who knew about it. No one bothered anyone there. Anyone could get away with anything, and Casey knew that truth too well. 

Uncle John didn't say much as they drove underneath fiery autumn tree canopies, and past farms overlooking sunlit fields.  
He'd look over at Casey every little while, and she'd smile contently with the sun glowing on her face. 

They arrived, pulling in to a unkept lot. The tall trees ominously closed in from above, sealing out the sky through a filter of yellow and orange. Casey was pleased to find not another soul around. 

"Alright, I dunno how well you remember this place," Uncle John said, exiting the truck and taking his gun firmly in his grip, "but about a mile in there's a hill with a few stumps at the bottom that are good for targets." 

Casey nodded affirmatively and began to follow her uncle into the woods. She noticed how tightly his hands strained around his shotgun, and how every ten steps deeper in they went, he would look back at Casey, quickly checking to see if she was watching him. Casey eventually stopped looking at her uncle entirely and pretended to focus on the surroundings. 

They came upon a river and started walking alongside it. Casey remembered this river. The gentle rushing sound of water over rocks and the way the sunbeams danced off the surface making it sparkle blindingly. This is where the buck was shot twelve years ago. He lay partially in the water, facing towards Casey. His dark eyes reflected her own. 

Casey and her uncle started walking on a different path, taking themselves away from the river and to higher elevation. At that point, uncle John felt comfortable enough to talk. 

"So, uhhh what kind of job are you thinking about getting?" He asked. 

"Hardware store I think." 

"Phil's or the one farther away?" 

"Hopefully Phil's." 

"Yeah hopefully." He snorted. 

Casey and her Uncle didn't talk again until they reached the hill. They set up their gear and uncle John began shooting at the stumps below to test their range for himself. Casey sat patiently beside him and watched a massive hole blow through each stump, sending out shards of wood like the sparks from fireworks. Uncle John began to reload the gun when Casey slowly stood. 

"I've gotta pee, I'll be right back." She said, already walking off. 

Uncle John sighed, clearly annoyed. "OK but hurry up. You wanted to come all the way out here to fuckin' do this so If we're not back by six and I miss my game you're gunna be sorry." He warned as he sat back, glaring at Casey. He began to light a cigarette. 

Casey was already out of his view, her attention now fully on the ground. Kicking up leaves with her shoes, she searched the area for something to use. Ideally a sharp rock or loose nail would be best, but something glinting in the light a few feet away caught her eye. Casey picked it up, running her thumb over the perfectly sharp edge of a shard of glass. 

Casey returned, and resumed sitting next to uncle John who was impatiently tapping the barrel of the gun as it rested on his lap. 

Uncle John rose up. "You goddamn ready?" He asked, irritated. 

"Yes, please." Casey responded, standing as he did.

For the first five minutes of practice, uncle John directed Casey's every action. He stood right behind her and guided the gun with his hands. Casey would shoot and miss intentionally every other target, inciting more of her uncle's frustration but also making her false ignorance of guns more believable. She took aim to hit the next stump but then slowly lowered the gun. 

"What the fuck is it-"

"Shhhh!" Casey hushed, raising her hand to direct. "Twelve-point buck." 

Uncle John snatched the gun away from Casey with palpable possessiveness and took aim, leaving his niece's side in his frantic search for the imaginary deer. 

"Where!?" He demanded. 

Casey gestured for him to come close in front of her, just before the hill took it's steep decline. Uncle John squatted down, nearly shouldering Casey out of the way. She reached her arm out in front of his face to guide him. 

"Behind the cluster of birch trees. See it?" 

"No I don't see anything-" 

Casey then brought her arm smashing back into her uncle's face, holding the shard of glass between her knuckles and sinking it deep into his right eye. He let out a shriek of anguish as Casey ripped the shard back out. He fired off a round out of sheer surprise before his meaty arms let go of the gun to reach up in reaction. Casey swiftly grabbed the weapon before using all her might to shove uncle John down the hill while he was still in shock. He rolled down, squealing and clutching his bloody eye until one of the stumps below brought him to an abrupt stop. Uncle John scrambled to his feet and began to rage back up the hill, but not before Casey was able to reach into his discarded satchel and reload the shotgun. She made this clear to him when she clicked it and took aim for her uncle's head. Face red and heaving in fury, uncle John stopped and stared up at Casey. His one good eye was locked with hers while his other was gushing fresh blood. 

"Casey..." the bear of a man growled, raising his arms over his head. "You have very serious issues. Whatever you think I did to you... it never happened. You can't just kill innocent men. You’re in so much fucking trouble. You better give me that gun. Right. Now." 

Casey remained silent, answering back only with the coldness in her eyes. 

"Casey... I am your uncle." His voice was wavering slightly. "You're not being nice to your family. What would your daddy think of you right now?" 

Casey cracked a smile. "My dad would've killed you himself twelve years ago if he were still alive. But he's gone so now I'm in charge... and I say we're going to play a game." 

Uncle John's eye went wide and Casey could hear his breathing hitch. 

"We're going to pretend to be animals now. Take off your clothes." Casey bit at the terrified man before her. "Animals don't wear clothes." 

Holding back tears, uncle John shakily unbuttoned his jacket and shirt, tossing the clothes aside before slipping out of his pants and boots. He now stood in only his socks and underwear with the rest of his thick hairy body naked and vulnerable before his niece and her gun. 

"Good." Casey said. "Now, you are going to admit everything you did to me when I was a child. Every last thing." 

"Casey, please I-" 

Casey tightened her aim on her uncle. 

"Okay! Okay!" Uncle John sputtered. "Okay... I molested you. From when you were five to when you were eleven. But I never raped you! I just choked you! But- but I hit you, I beat you, I burned you with cigarettes when I got drunk, and I lied okay!? I lied because I truly felt guilty for what I'd done! I knew your daddy would hate me if he knew. I'm so so sorry Casey!" He begged, falling to his knees. 

Casey felt her eyes sting with tears as she laughed humorlessly at the gut churning scene before her. "You never 'raped' me huh? I think using a five year old as something to smother while you wack off counts, asshole." 

"Please, p-please don't kill me Casey! Casey I'm- I'm you're only family left! You're like my own daughter! I love you-"

A blast louder than a landslide tore through the woods and cut off uncle John's last lie before he could finish it. Casey watched brain matter and skull fragments form a red halo around what was now only a neck, tongue, and lower jaw. In that very second, a relief flooded Casey's mind. Her uncle's face was now erased from the earth. 

Casey let the shotgun slip from her hands and drop to the ground just as her uncle's carcass slumped back into the leaves. The woods was silent now. Birds had ceased their chirping and the scurry of squirrels halted. The woods can tell when a life has ended, and when something dangerous stands within the trees. Casey was the top predator of this domain now, and her inner beast was surging. 

The calmness of the woods reflected the emptiness behind Casey's eyes as she turned around. She rummaged through her uncle's satchel and took his hunting knife. Casey then began to walk away. 

Ten steps, thirty steps, farther and farther away Casey walked from the body of the man she just murdered. She had expected to feel horrible immediately after, overwhelmed by the weight of the act she had committed, but she didn't. 

Casey walked past her uncle's truck, hardly looking at it, more interested in the daylight becoming dimmer. She kept walking until she reached the main road. 

The road was long and straight, appearing like an endless river of tar with either woods or fields on each side. Directionless, Casey just kept walking. She kept to one side, looking ahead, but not really paying mind to anything, aside from that she could now hear birds again. 

Hours passed before Casey became aware that the sun was beginning to set. The sky was pink and stars glowed faintly like tiny fireflies. With a long sigh, she stopped walking and sat down, looking across the field to watch and appreciate this quiet moment. The girl was now aware that her legs ached and her mouth was dry. She got a bottle of water from her backpack and also brought out the picture of her dad. In the image, he was still smiling up at her, so maybe he was proud of what she'd done, Casey thought. 

The spectacle of the sunset ended, and dusk set in. Gradually the shadows of each tree became blacker and the stars became brighter. The air was chilled and Casey became grateful for her three layers very quickly. She pulled the hood of her jacket over her head before departing from the road and slipping into the cover of the trees once more. 

Drowsiness set in only when Casey could no longer see the road behind her. She smiled, slumping against a sturdy tree and letting herself slide to its base. The hum of night and the echoing calls of all its creatures soothed Casey into a state of peace like she had never felt before. 

\---

Hot breath and wet spray startled Casey awake. She saw a dark shape with two goopy tunnels and gasped, jerking away. The buck standing over her reared back, startled as well, and stared at Casey unblinking. After a few tense seconds, Casey couldn't help but giggle at the realization. 

"Hello deer." Casey spoke softly, outstretching her hand to him. 

The buck snorted and lowered his nose back to her, tasting the scent of her hand. Cautiously, he rested his nose against Casey's palm. 

"Beautiful." Casey said, enchanted. 

After a few moments, the buck lifted his head elegantly and regarded Casey in a way that made her feel welcome in this world. The woods that haunted her memory now felt like a home. The deer turned away, and pranced off with little noise. 

Casey leaned back and gazed up at the dappled morning sunlight peeking through the treetops. "It's all beautiful now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of flashbacks in this chapter!

The remainder of that morning, Casey watched crisp leaves float delicately down from the canopies and form colorful dots all over the ground around her. She dreamed of simply melting into her surroundings, losing herself fully to the blissfulness of the open air and peaceful quiet. This was all Casey could hope to do now, with each passing moment, she drifted further and farther away from the quiet, passive girl she was only days ago. 

No more sorrow lingered wherever she went like a shadow, and no more fear was constantly clawing away at her body. Casey existed, unburdened by things that were now behind her. The police would surely search for her, but they'd only ever find her uncle's decomposing carcass. They'd never find her. Casey would be part of the woods somehow, or perhaps she could turn into a deer herself. It didn't matter, because nothing was going to hurt anymore. Death or new life, come what may. Casey smiled at this thought, and closed her eyes. 

Without warning, Casey was flung back violently into a dimly lit, concrete passageway lined with metal pipes that hissed, groaned and shook like the decrepit serpentine necks of a industrial hydra. Casey's hands slapped desperately at the slick, wet floor before she could push herself off the ground to look around in horror at the excruciatingly familiar surroundings. Twenty feet or so down the corridor, Casey could see a large room containing the towering metal animal cage she had locked herself inside to escape from The Beast. 

An ear-splitting shattering sound erupted from behind Casey and echoed down the hallway as everything went completely black. An intense moment of silence ended when Casey heard deep, ragged breaths coming from the ceiling above her and blowing down the hairs on her head. Casey looked up into the darkness, petrified by what she knew was hidden right there.

"Look at you... you're so frightened of us." A sad, small voice lisped from far away.

"...Hedwig?" Casey could hardly choke out, feeling her heart drop into her stomach. 

Light returned, but dimmer than before. A red glow illuminated the silhouette of a small child with messy hair standing in the doorway of the room with the cage. He was holding some kind of stuffed animal. 

"Hedwig!" Casey screamed as she began running towards the young boy, tears welling up behind her eyes as guilt flooded through her. 

Before Casey could reach the boy, the silhouette started to change into that of a full grown man. Casey skidded to a halt and fell backwards, unable to look away as Kevin Wendell Crumb's unmistakable, tortured, eyes bore into hers and held her there with the weight of his misery. 

"Kill me." He begged. 

Casey woke up, jerking forwards painfully with wide tearful eyes, before regaining her senses and recognizing the woods around her. The sky was turning dark again, and this time the young girl felt unbearably cold. Aggressive sobs began to wrack Casey's body without mercy as memories of the past week crashed into her mind. 

~~~

As soon as Casey saw the reflection of the discarded mall food in the car mirror, she became aware that something was wrong. When Casey turned to face the driver's seat, she saw a strange man there, and terror set in. The malice in his presence alone paralyzed Casey upon his entry. Dennis, the man who couldn't stand filth, slipped into Mr. Benoit's car without anyone noticing for a long, long moment. 

"Hey! Pardon me sir, I think you have the wrong car!" Claire said boldly. 

Dennis, in swift fluid motions, placed a mask over his face and took out a canister. He sprayed Claire, then Marcia. Casey watched, unable to do a thing like a true deer in the headlights. The music playing in the car stereo became ghostly to Casey's ears, her hearing giving way completely to her overwhelmed sense of sight. The indifference in Dennis' regard of the girls made Casey feel despair long before he was aware of her being there. Casey had that chance to escape, it took Dennis a long time to register her in the car beside him. Maybe if she had run away, she could've gotten help for Claire and Marcia, but maybe not. It was far too late to dream now.

Dennis turned to Casey in surprise when she had attempted to discreetly open the car door. It was hopeless at that point, she knew that and he knew it too. Casey stared back at the man, pleading with overflowing eyes, already knowing she had lost. Dennis slipped his mask back on, staring at Casey vacantly from behind his glasses. He lunged, grabbing a fist full of her hair, lifted the spray can, and sent Casey into the dark. 

~~~

"Is she in that room?" The British-accented woman asked Dennis with urgency. 

The girls began to yell and holler for help, energized by the prospect that a woman may have come to rescue them. 

"What is this? How many are there?!" The woman hissed, heels clacking loudly on the concrete floor as she marched over to the locked room. 

"No, no, don't go in there! Don't go in there!" Dennis protested to no avail as the keys in the woman's hand clicked into place. 

When Miss Patricia opened the door, the tangible horror at the realization of what was happening filled the space like a thick fog. Patricia shared the same body with Dennis, but Casey knew immediately that this woman was a far different person from the clean-obsessed man who was sent to kidnap the girls. 

Patricia stood regally in a red turtle-neck, hands clasped together in a stance that demanded authority. Her heels added significant height, allowing her to loom over the other girls. A necklace dangled between her collarbones and defined her small breasts. She radiated power like a great, blood-colored lioness. Patricia's eyes were bright and entrapping as they locked onto Casey. She could feel herself tremble as the woman's interrogating gaze pierced through her. Casey was the unexpected by-catch of the kidnapping, so Patricia was aware of only Claire and Marcia. Patricia seemed to be surprised, but not distressed, by the addition of a third girl. She started to speak in a hushed, apologetic voice. 

"Don't worry. I'll talk to him. He listens to me."

The woman sighed, eyes darting sharply from girl to girl. 

"He's not well." She frowned then continued, "He knows what you're here for. He's not allowed to touch you, he knows that." Patricia said in a reaffirming tone that seemed directed at Marcia in reference to Dennis' previous behavior with her. Patricia shook her head, no. "Mmm Mmm." 

Locking eyes again with Casey, Patricia studied the girl once more before exiting the room, never looking away from the petrified teenagers. 

~~~

Casey remembered waking up alone, feeling drained of all energy, yet somehow comfortably warm. She reluctantly opened her eyes to greet the dark dungeon she was being held in.  
To her bewilderment, the room was not dark. Casey could see the empty cot across from hers and the rough stone walls beyond that. There was light illuminating the room, and it was coming from the wide open door.

Casey felt herself jolt up to take action but suddenly halted in alarm when she felt the weight of a person's arm wrapped snugly around her waist. Casey knew then that one of her captors was snuggled firmly against her. This was why when Casey woke up, she hadn't been cold. The unrelenting panic Casey felt from physical contact was intensified by the uncertainty of which alter it was cuddling her.

"It wasn't nice what you said about Miss Patricia. You lied." The nine year old boy who named himself after an owl lisped, pressing closer against Casey. She leaned back into Hedwig's embrace, relieved to know it was him. 

Casey could not handle being touched at all, no matter how innocent the gesture may be. All physical contact she experienced since the death of her father was strictly painful and traumatizing. Due to that pain, Casey couldn't even stand a encouraging hand on her shoulder from a school teacher attempting to console her. That teacher had been swiftly struck. The only kind of touch Casey accepted was what she inflicted on herself with various dull kitchen knives. 

Now, Hedwig, was spooning her. Casey knew well that struggling made contact last longer with her uncle, so she hoped that her submission to the touch would keep the horde calm no matter how distressing the act was to her. 

Despite her pain, knowing it was Hedwig, the child, made Casey feel safer in the back of her mind. Hedwig was clearly upset with Casey, but he wasn't hurting her. Regardless of her fear towards the other alters in this situation, Casey felt great empathy for the young boy. 

"I'm sorry about that, Hedwig." 

"You guys lied to me, made me scared, et cetera. Mr. Dennis, he says you wear a lot of shirts. I like this shirt." 

"Thank you." 

"Do you know who Dennis and Miss Patrica are?" 

"Who?" 

Hedwig scoffed, pushing against Casey to sit himself upright. 

"See, all of us have to wait in chairs... and Barry, he decides who stands in the light but Barry lost that power because of me." He said proudly. "I can wish myself into the light anytime I want, it's a special power." Hedwig grinned wide at this, "Barry just has to keep sitting in his chair if I want him to. That's why Dennis and Miss Patricia said I could be with them." Hedwig looked at Casey curiously. "Dennis and Patricia, they believe in the Beast, and what he can do." 

Casey felt encouraged that Hedwig was being so open with her about how they all worked. She could see just from observing the situation that Hedwig felt lonely, and was desperate for validation and attention he wasn't getting from anyone. Casey had felt a similar way when she was younger. 

"Have you seen him? The... Beast?" Casey asked, hoping to know the lore of this creature that was going to decide her fate. 

"No. Can I kiss you?" Hedwig asked abruptly. "I wanted to kiss the other girl with the dark hair but she's in trouble." He sighed, looking pitifully up at Casey. 

Casey was taken aback by his request. She hesitated as many upsetting things crossed her mind. 

"So, you want to? I don't know much about kissing though." His bravado started to wear off. 

"Yeah." Casey answered quickly. 

Now it was Hedwig who was taken aback. Her unexpected agreement made the boy blush and smile nervously. 

"Uh... Ok." Hedwig started, beaming at Casey. "Ok here we go." He started to lean closer and Casey looked back at him fearfully. 

Casey's panic gave way to sheer dread as the face of the child, the creepy man who kidnapped her, and the woman who had lovingly brushed her hair before pointing a knife at her, closed in within inches from her face. 

"One, two, three." Hedwig's lips pushed against the side of Casey's mouth as his eyes fluttered shut. He adjusted once and pressed in harder before leaning away, looking back at Casey with fuzzy eyes. 

Casey had not closed her eyes, instead she had studied his face, and found herself stunned by the softness and gentleness of Hedwig's action. She found that her fear had subsided and she was no longer thinking about her past. 

"You might be pregnant now." Hedwig lisped. 

If Casey had not been fearing for her life every waking moment of that day, she would have laughed at the boy's naive statement.

Hedwig spoke again with insecurity in his voice, "Am I a good kisser?" 

"Yeah." Casey nodded. 

"I like dancing, do you like dancing?" Hedwig's eyes glimmered as he asked this, "I like dancing to my CD player in my room right-right next to my window. Kanye West is my main man." 

Casey's heart jumped at the mention of a window. There was her escape. 

"I'm like... Mmm! Mmm! Gots the moves!" The boy hummed as he grooved to the music playing in his mind. 

"Wow!" Casey exclaimed. 

Hedwig's face brightened at Casey's praise. 

"Hey, maybe I could watch you dance and... listen to music with you." 

Hedwig's face grew dark. "N-no my music is in my room." 

"Oh." Casey pretended to look discouraged, "Maybe... you could sneak me there." 

"Are you trying to trick me?" Hedwig snapped, hurt underlying in his voice, "I'll tell on you... I'm telling on you!"

"I'll tell you something!" Casey hurried, "And you can tell me if I'm lying ok?"

"Mmm."

"Like a test, ok?" 

"Mmm hmm." 

Casey swallowed nervously. As troubled as she felt for having to keep manipulating the child, she found a chance in this moment to open up to him. Being vulnerable was something Casey had never been able to do before, and she was amazed at herself as the words began to flow freely from her lips. 

"I get into trouble, at school, on purpose, so I can get sent to detention, to get away from... everyone, so that I can be alone." 

After admitting this to Hedwig, Casey didn't feel as alone. He looked back at in her in wonder, then distrust, then finally, acceptance. 

"Ok. I'll show you something cool in my room." Hedwig said. 

Casey smiled. "Ok." 

~~~

"Put your hands together in contrition." Patricia ordered, her gaze heavy with restrained fury as she set aside the walkie-talkie and gestured for Casey to stand in front of her. Despite being without her high heels and wearing Hedwig's clothes, Patricia's commanding presence made Casey's resolve crumble and she quickly obeyed the woman's instructions. Patricia hummed, circling around Casey to retrieve a candle and matches from a desk drawer. Patricia took her time to light the candle, seeming to relish in the fear and obedience Casey was displaying. Patricia, smiling contently, moved behind Casey, and then stepped forward, compelling Casey to do the same. They left Hedwig's room and glided back down the ever-darkening hallway. 

"In the sun, we will find our passion. In the sun, we will find our purpose." Patricia oozed this phrase fondly as her gaze buried itself into Casey's back. Casey could feel the woman's eyes as if they were the claws of a cat sinking deep into her skin. 

Casey, defeated, entered the room that was her prison with all of Patricia's flowers adorning the beds and bathroom sink. Casey turned to face the woman standing in the doorway. She stood, holding the candle, with her eyes still fixated on Casey. The orange glow from the flame twinkled inside Patricia's Arctic-sky colored irises. 

"I read that on a sympathy card at the supermarket. It was a funeral's but... I thought it was beautiful." Patricia purred, smirking affectionately at Casey as she blew out the candle. 

"Dennis will explain the meaning of this evening." Patricia informed as she turned away, her stare never leaving Casey until the very last moment.

In the time that it took for Dennis to get dressed, Casey hurriedly picked up a loose nail from the floor and hid it in her grasp. When Dennis shyly stepped forward into Patricia's previous position, the expression on his face was mournful but determined. 

"The beast is a sentient creature, who represents the highest form of human evolution. He believes the time of ordinary humanity is over." Dennis smiled slightly, " I hope this makes you feel calm. You will be in the presence of something greater." 

With every word Dennis spoke, Casey felt her heart sink lower and lower. 

"I was going to ask for your last shirt, but whatever, cause tonight is a sacred night." Dennis had said, attempting to affirm himself with his own morals. Dennis then added in an attempt to be reassuring to Casey, "It's almost over." 

~~~

That was the last time Casey saw Dennis, and it was very apparent to her by that point that both Dennis and Hedwig were unsure and terrified of what the Beast could be, and extremely reluctant at having to sacrifice young girls in order to bring him to life. At the same time, both the man and the child were so incredibly desperate for the monster to be their savior. The Beast would liberate them, give them power, and set them free from pain. 

"Miss Patricia says that nobody will make fun of me anymore when the beast comes! Everyone will see how amazing I am! And then all the silly mistakes they won't matter anymore!" Hedwig had exclaimed, trying to emphasize to Casey how important this was to him. 

In the present, Casey's' face twisted in sorrow thinking about how moments after Hedwig said that she had hit the boy across the face and left him wailing in the corner of his room. She needed to escape, death had been imminent that night. Still, upon reflection, Casey knew that she had betrayed the trust of a unique person that she felt undeniably kindred with, and this upset her deeply.

Casey thought she had to exploit Hedwig's vulnerability to survive, rehashing many of the tactics she developed at home to escape the torture of living with her uncle. In the end, it was the Beast who decided Casey's fate and the Beast alone. This shared destiny was inescapable for all the people trapped in Kevin's body, and now Casey understood that this destiny was inescapable for her too. The Beast was right. The horde and Casey Cooke were the same. 

Casey stood, using the tree she rested under for support. She wiped away the tears and snot from her face with the sleeve of her jacket and pulled up her hood. Slipping off her underwear and leggings, and replacing them with another pair, Casey assembled herself. She rummaged through her backpack for her water bottle and toothbrush and began cleaning her teeth. 

Casey was not free from pain. She was not allowed to lay in the woods and die. Her uncle, who tormented her entire childhood, was dead. The ones who gifted her the strength to kill him, and allowed her to experience the freedom she tasted now, were still alive and in need of help. Kevin and Hedwig and others were trapped inside the body of a bloodthirsty animal hell bent on slaughtering people. People just like Claire and Marcia who did not deserve to die just because they weren't tortured in life. Casey had to stop the suffering for everyone, she could not just fade away knowing that this would never end.

Step by step, Casey pushed herself back out onto the road, leaving the shelter of the trees and letting the howling winds whip against her body. The clarity Casey had found within the woods burned strong enough to make the girl keep moving against the bitter chill. Casey did not let herself pay any mind to her empty stomach or sore limbs. She stared straight ahead, not seeing the road, instead only seeing the horde. 

\---

Night was fast approaching and the chilly overcast afternoon had already taken its toll on Casey's will. She could feel herself slowing down, and despite hours of walking without stopping, there was still no end to the road in sight. Casey's breathing became raspy and she staggered five paces until she fell to her knees, staring blankly at the asphalt underneath her hands. 

"How?" She questioned aloud. "How am I going to do this?" 

The road was silent aside from gusts of cold air that seemed to make the earth itself shiver. Casey recalled that the last house she passed by had been miles back. Even so, who's to say whether or not those living there would help her or hurt her? Casey had to rethink her options. 

Casey looked to each side of her. There were fields full of tall grass vibrating with a chorus of crickets and then trees beyond that. Before now, never had being totally alone felt so distressing to her. 

The distant rumbling sound of a car approaching startled the defeated girl back up onto her feet. She spun around and saw a few hills behind her the unmistakable glow of headlights. 

Each time a car had sped by before, Casey had ducked into the trees to avoid being spotted. In her present desperation, Casey felt willing enough to take the risk in the hopes that whoever was driving this car would assist a ragged looking hitchhiker girl. Casey shoved back her hood, flipped her hair out, and stepped forwards with a thumb sticking up at the end of her outstretched arm. 

The car sped closer, tearing up the road beneath it. The base from the car's blasting stereo sent vibrations loud enough ahead of it that Casey could feel them in her toes. She swallowed nervously and hoped that the car's headlights would cast some light over her shivering figure. 

Zooming at nearly 70 miles per hour towards Casey, the car came within forty feet before its headlights blinded her and she could hear the horrid screeching of tires reaching a stop too soon. The booming music silenced and now all Casey heard was the jittering and growling from the car's resting engine coming from nearby her. When she regained her vision, Casey saw a red van slowly pulling up several feet in front of her. Unsure, Casey smiled and waved awkwardly before the passenger's side door was cracked open and the chatter of multiple concerned teenagers could be heard. 

"Hey uh, you need help?" A boy asked, sticking his face shyly out from the open car window. 

"Uh, yeah. I'm kinda lost and I could really use a ride somewhere. Where are you guys heading to?" Casey called back, slowly approaching the van. 

"We're going to a concert in Philly." A girl called out from the backseat. 

"We're going to a friend's house first though." Another boy said from beside her. "We need to meet up with our weed guy." 

Hey, but are you alright? Do you want us to take you to a hospital or anything? This is a weird road to see people walking on." A different girl asked in a serious tone. 

"Ha, yeah it sure is." Casey said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I was out hiking this morning but I went off trail and thank god I ended up back on a road. I'm okay, I'm not scratched up or anything but I am really cold. I'm actually staying right near Philly so that would be awesome if you'd let me go with you guys." 

The driver of the car, another male, was quick to answer, "Yeah it's no problem! Hop in. It's really crammed but Matt can sit in the back." 

The one who was named Matt groaned in protest and climbed over from the middle backseat into the back of the van while one of the girls opened up the door to let Casey inside. 

"Thank you so much." Casey said, making sure to look at the driver directly, "I really appreciate it." 

The guy had spun around to get a better look at Casey. He was tan and athletic looking with a long face and sunny blonde hair. He was smiling pleasantly as he started their conversation. 

"No worries! I'm Thomas. This is Liam," the driver gestured to the skinny brown-haired kid in the passenger seat who gave a friendly nod, "Rachel," he pointed to the lavender-haired girl who wore a concerned expression farthest from Casey, "Hannah," the beautiful girl sitting beside Casey, "and Matt's behind you. Also sorry that our van smells like ass. We smoke a lot and I deliver my elderly neighbor's trash to the dump everyday. It's a bad combo." 

"Ha ha I'm not bothered at all. I really can't thank you enough for helping me out." Casey laughed, feeling her nervousness melting away. She felt warmth emanating from this group of kids, blown away by how welcoming they were being. This bunch was definitely not from Casey's high school because her town was way too far away and she did not recognize the faces of these people. If these kids had recognized Casey's face, they surely would have kept on driving. Every kid from Casey's school knew the discouraging things about her. Casey had fought with school faculty and other students since elementary school, and everyone who attended that district had been a witness to it at one time or another. 

"So, what's your name, stranger?" Thomas asked playfully, starting to drive again. 

"I'm Anna. Nice to meet all of you." Casey smiled, looking around once more at everyone's faces. Matt was curled up awkwardly in the back of the van, but Casey could still see that the black-haired, pasty-skinned kid was a gym rat. His arms were as thick as ham legs. 

Hannah seemed particularly bubbly. "What school are you from, Anna? You kinda look like an art kid."

"Ha ha no I don't go to school in this state. I just hike here. I'm from New Hampshire. I'm going into social work." Casey lied instinctually. 

"Hey, that's really cool." Hannah sounded pleased. "Do you want to smoke with us before we go to the concert?" 

"Thank you, but I don't smoke." Casey paused. "Have you guys... heard the news in Philly lately?" 

"Hell yeah! The fuckin' psychopath who lived under the zoo and started eating people? Yeah of course! That shit is national news. We're not scared at all." Liam exclaimed excitedly. "There hasn't been a murder for a few days so the cops think the dude's gone into hiding. It's fucking insane though. Apparently he's immune to guns and shit. He fucking eats people, dude! That's wild!" 

"Not all of us think it's so "wild," Liam." Snapped Rachel. "I don't want to go anywhere near the city right now or ever again until they catch that guy." 

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Chill out, Rachel. Literally, society is functioning exactly the same. It's horrible what happened, but like don't let it ruin your day." 

Rachel turned to glare at Hannah sourly. "If this were happening in California on the other side of America maybe I wouldn't care, but we are literally driving right towards the place where people specifically our age got murdered! Why shouldn't I be fucking concerned!?" 

"Enough!" Thomas shouted back. "This Kevin Crumb guy is pretty fucked up but there's no way out of all the thousands of people in the city he's going to get us. Statistically there's just no way... And like Hannah's saying, it's not stopping the fact that Philly has all the fun shit going on right now. So let's please just enjoy the concert alright?" 

"Yeah." Matt huffed from behind Casey. "It's probably fine. I guess we should just be careful." 

"Ok. I'm glad you guys are aware of that." Casey said, suppressing any emotion in her voice. She was reminded again of how extremely different she was from other kids her age. They are so carefree, invincible to even the most nightmarish situations until one actually happens to them. They are blissfully ignorant the subjects they discus. This is why being around her peers at school furthered Casey's feelings of isolation and distrust. 

~~~

Junior year, Casey had been harassed by a group of three notorious party girls who wanted to consider themselves "helping the weird kid" when they forced Casey go to a pre football game party with them. This was the first and last time any of her peers ever attempted to befriend Casey. The leader of the pack of three, Phoebe, who resembled your average fitness baddie, had dragged Casey into her car immediately after school got out. Phoebe ignored Casey's warnings that her uncle would be furious when he realized Casey had lied about staying after school for work. Phoebe had told Casey to "loosen up" and sped off down the road, nearly running over a group of middle school aged kids while the other two party girls cackled in the backseat. 

"So, why do you keep running away from home, Casey?" Phoebe pried, eager to be the only kid at school to know the truth behind the rumors. 

Casey was silent and refused to look at Phoebe. 

"C'moooon it's fine! I used to sneak away at night to meet boys all the time. Like, my dad used to get sooo pissed I swear I die laughing thinking about it." Phoebe snickered, the other two girls continued their nasally laughter. 

"I don't run away to meet boys." Casey muttered. "I don't like boys at all." 

"Omg!" Phoebe made a dramatic gasping face, looking away from the road to do so. "Are you a lesbian, Casey Cooke?" 

Casey turned to face Phoebe with a irritable, tired expression on her face. "I run away from home so I can be by myself. My family is great but it's a very loud house and sometimes I just need my own space." Casey half lied. 

"So, you don't even have any like, weird outcast stoner friends you hang out with?" asked one of the girls in the back, taking her eyes of her phone for the first time since getting into the car, to look puzzled at Casey. 

"Okay, but if you "just need space" then why do the cops keep bringing you back to your house after you run away? Tucker Richardson says he's seen them escort you to a really shitty looking house and that it looks like just you and your dad live there." Phoebe challenged. 

"Listen," Casey snapped, "My family is fine. Yeah, I run away to hang out with gay kids who smoke so my uncle gets pissed and calls the cops. It's not that big of a deal." Casey half-lied once more. Casey had, in fact, once known a woman who was both a lesbian and a avid pot smoker. Her name was Sammy. Sammy had blue-black hair and lots of tattoos and unique jewelry that young Casey liked to marvel at. Sammy's big smile and caring demeanor drew Casey to the woman. 

Sammy had worked at a gas station in town that just so happened to be right on Casey's usual run-away route. No attendant working at the gas station previously had ever thought to stop a frantic, terrified looking, nine year old girl with juice boxes spilling from her backpack before Sammy arrived. 

Sammy stopped Casey and brought her inside, promising not to call the cops on her.  
Sammy asked why Casey was alone and why she was running. Casey would not answer, but somehow Sammy seemed to understand that there was something more going on with this child. 

For years, whenever Casey would run away from her uncle, Sammy would sneak Casey inside the gas station and give the upset girl a free snack before sending her on her way out the back door. Even if an hour later the police caught Casey, she at least had a good meal that day. 

Sammy never pried into Casey's life during the years she knew her, nor did she ever try to change Casey's behavior. As Casey got older, she would pay for her food and started to have small, pleasant conversations with her gas station pal. Sammy was the only person Casey ever really could talk to. Casey mostly asked Sammy about what she enjoyed most about, or what she wanted to do in life. Sammy always replied that the thing she enjoyed and wanted most were children. Children made Sammy happy and someday she wanted to have a wife and be a good mom. Casey thought that Sammy was a really good person, and sometimes when Casey thought about Sammy's good nature and aspirations, Casey felt hope for her own future. 

One day, Sammy had walked Casey out the back of the store and placed a little box in her hands. Casey opened the box and gasped when she saw two tiny metal heart-shaped earrings sitting neatly on top of some crushed cotton swabs. Casey couldn't contain her emotions and to her discomfort and embarrassment she began to cry. Casey had never cried audibly in front of anyone due to the act being a form of vulnerability. Unlike most people, Sammy was not a predator and she extended a comforting smile before offering to pierce Casey's ears for her. Casey agreed, and left the gas station that afternoon with a little reminder of hope sparkling on each of her earlobes.  
Shortly after that day, Sammy disappeared and Casey never saw her again. 

"I don't really hang out with that crowd anymore." Said Casey distantly, eyes drifting out the car window to gaze at each house they drove by. The neighborhoods were getting nicer and nicer with each street Phoebe turned down. Casey had never been to this area before, and couldn't help but imagine how pleasant the lives of the kids who lived here must be. Each house had a large yard, serene gardens, and some even had massive pools. Casey wondered if that perhaps despite the grandeur of the houses exterior that some of the people who lived within were trying to compensate for a less than pleasant life. 

"Well, you're about to make better friends." Phoebe teased with an almost threatening undertone. 

Casey felt sick from regret as the car accelerated and the four girls continued their rapid approach to what Casey was fearing would be an absurdly crowded party. Surely no one else from school would be happy that she was attending. 

"Casey!" Phoebe called out suddenly. 

Casey spun around, startled, only to be met with the eye of a phone's camera lens. Casey had no idea how to react as a flash, accompanied by the digital camera clicking sound, confused Casey's senses. "Umm?" 

"I take pictures of all my friends." Phoebe said cheerfully. "Don't worry, you look pretty!" 

Turning down yet another street, Phoebe suddenly sped into the packed driveway of a stately looking three story house. She braked just short of hitting a sports car awkwardly parked on the front lawn. There was a crowd of teenagers outside the house smoking cigarettes and another group of boys aggressively playing basketball in front of one of the three garages. It was still daylight but clearly the intense drinking had already begun. Two other cars sloppily pulled up into the driveway behind Phoebe's car and several squealing and gawking teenagers flew out, Claire Benoit among them. 

The whole neighborhood looked exceptionally wealthy but all the fancy houses seemed lifeless in comparison to the one nearly bouncing off its foundation with all the noise going on inside. Casey wondered if this house was Bryan Smith's. That kid was notably rich and well liked at school. He was a senior and best bud's with the quarterback of the football team so it would only make sense he'd be throwing a pre-game party. What was odd, is that all sorts of people were showing up. One would think someone like Bryan would only invite those he viewed as elite to his parties. Phoebe and Co. were often cruelly gossiped about due to their promiscuous nature and Phoebe herself was famously rejected last semester by one of Bryan's jock friends for being too trashy. None the less, Casey had no desire to be here or interact with any of these people.

Casey swallowed uncomfortably and tried to scoot away from the car door but Phoebe snatched her arm and yanked Casey from the vehicle. She wanted to hit herself on the head for letting Phoebe drag her into this. 

"This is going to be fun, and like, healthy for you!" Phoebe chuckled while the other two girls swarmed either side of Casey like tan, self-absorbed mosquitos.

"Um, is this Bryan's house?" Casey stammered. 

"Mmmm hmmm! He invited the whole school pretty much. Tucker texted me saying he's shit-faced drunk already. I swear if Valerie Noelle is trying to fuck him right how I'll kill that bitch." Phoebe spat, suddenly venomous and unpleasant. 

"She's a total hoe." One of the girl's behind Casey agreed, not taking her eyes from her phone as they walked. 

"Do you like Bryan?" Casey asked as the group approached the front door. 

"I mean yeah I guess. He's hot. He just broke up with his girlfriend so obviously tonight he invited everyone so he can get as many girls as he can." 

"Oh." Said Casey.

The girls entered the house and immediately Casey was overwhelmed by the piercing noise and the stench of sweat and alcohol. Phoebe started screaming her greetings to everyone nearby and Casey took no time to break away and hide in the nearest bathroom. Casey couldn't pay any mind to the impressive decor of the house with so many people crammed together like a can of horny sardines. Luckily the bathroom was unoccupied and Casey slipped inside swiftly before locking the door behind her. Perhaps if Casey was fortunate, she could wait out the whole party in this bathroom. After all, it was only two hours before everyone would leave for the football game. 

"Hey! Casey Cooke! I saw you go in there!" A male's voice called, muffled, through the door. 

Casey was mortified. She gasped, but chose not to reply. 

"Hey listen, I just want to say hello. I think it's cool you came to the party and all. I want to meet you." 

"Who is it?" Casey called out nervously. 

"I'm Tucker Richardson, Phoebe's friend. She told me she was going to try and bring you."

Tucker, he lived in Casey's neighborhood. He was the nosey kid Phoebe had mentioned. Casey felt unsure of him, and his interest in her warranted suspicion. 

"Uh ok. It's really loud here." Casey replied. 

Tucker laughed, "Yeah, it's pretty fucking loud. There's less people in the backyard by the pool. Would you like to hang out over there?" 

Casey sighed, staring down miserably at the stone bathroom tiles. "Ok." She agreed, opening the door to see Tucker's crooked smile greeting her. 

Tucker had hazel eyes that drooped downwards and a nose that didn't fit right on his face. He had a strange haircut, and fairly bad acne. The kid wasn't unattractive or unpopular, but he was renown for being quite an asshole, and something about his face reflected that. Casey didn't like him. 

"Follow me." Tucker said smoothly. 

Casey followed Tucker, narrowing her eyes whenever he'd turn around and smile at her. Casey spotted Phoebe in the living room with a leg resting possessively over Bryan's lap. He was clearly more interested in whatever video game he was playing on his car-sized television than he was Phoebe. The boys around him were all hollering like apes at every pixelated explosion on the screen. Casey had a hard time seeing how any of this was supposed to be enjoyable. She'd rather be at home, staring at a wall. 

"So Casey," Tucker Began as they both stepped outside past a small group of kids sitting around drinking by the pool. He walked Casey over to the edge of the yard before continuing. "Phoebe says you're misunderstood. I think that's true. I wanna know more about you."

"Did Phoebe really say that?" Casey asked, surprised. 

"Yep. She thinks you're alright, just fucking weird." Tucker snorted, "But for real why don't you want to make friends with anyone? Your parents die or something?" 

"Yeah." Casey replied shortly. 

"...Oh. Oh shit I'm sorry." 

"It's fine." Casey spoke tiredly. 

"Well, I guess that explains the yelling thing. That sucks to go through. Phoebe also said the reason your uncle calls the cops on you is because you hang out with some stoner fags. That true?" 

"Yeah." Casey said flatly, nodding. 

"Well hey, if you smoke up that's alright with me." Tucker grinned strangely, gesturing with his hands as he spoke, "Also, if you kiss girls I'm super OK with that too." The tone of his voice was nauseatingly suggestive and Casey could feel her tolerance wavering. 

When Casey didn't respond Tucker grew irritated, "Listen I think you just need a friend, and I'd be happy to be that friend. I bet you've wanted to feel like you belong here forever right? You probably cut your wrists and sweat it out to Marilyn Manson and Tool yes?" 

Casey could only glare back at Tucker in sheer bewilderment. 

"So, basically what I'm saying, Casey, is that I think you deserve better. I started noticing you're actually kind of pretty so it's a real shame to think you could be putting those lips to use when you're not." said Tucker moments before swiftly grabbing the back of Casey's head and attempting to mush his lips against hers. 

In a fit of disgusted fury, Casey rammed her head straight into Tucker's face, audibly cracking his stupid nose. The boy yelped in pain, cupping his face while blood seeped from between his fingers. Casey's head throbbed, her own skull aching from the impact. Dazed, she looked around to see everyone in the backyard silent and staring at her. 

"Ugh! You fucking bitch! You fucking fish-eyed fucking freak!" Tucker squealed. 

By this point, people from inside the house had come out to observe the drama. 

Bryan Smith, the man himself, staggered out on to the back deck with Phoebe in tow. He glanced around confused for a moment before his eyes landed on Casey. 

"Oh jeez who invited her?" Bryan huffed loudly. "Yo, weird girl, get lost!" 

Phoebe immediately began echoing Bryan and then some of the other kids began to join in. You didn't have to tell Casey twice. She was gone, hopping over the backyard fence and out of sight. 

Wiping the blood from her forehead, Casey reluctantly let a couple tears slip during her shameful walk home. Naturally, Casey was upset knowing how badly her uncle would beat her over this, but for whatever reason, the firm finalization of how much of a outcast she was amongst her peers hurt Casey worse in this moment. She was different from the rest. 

~~~

"So Anna, what is New Hampshire like?" Hannah asked politely, attempting to lift the mood. 

"Oh it's beautiful. Lots of mountains and wildlife. Way colder than here though." Casey said dreamily. Casey had never actually been to New Hampshire but she read a magazine about hiking there once. Hannah bought the lie anyways. 

"Nice! The farthest north I've been is New York. The city is magical!" Said Hannah gleefully. 

"Oh wow!" Casey smiled. "That must have been really something. What concert are you guys gunna see?" 

Liam was quick to chime in, "It's a whole bunch of indie artists. The big up and comers!" He said enthusiastically. 

Casey nodded, "Very cool." 

"Hey Anna, where would you like to get dropped off at? You're still totally welcome to hang with us if you like, though." Thomas said, glancing at Casey through the rear-view mirror. 

"Oh anywhere is fine honestly. I guess... in the town you pass through just before you enter Philadelphia... if you were to head towards the King of Prussia Mall, that's where my friend I'm staying with lives. She may not be home but I'd like to check, if it isn't too out of the way?" Casey asked Thomas. She was curious to see if the police had noticed her absence from her uncle's home. 

"Hey, not at all! That's the way we're heading anyways." Thomas said cheerfully. "We'll be there in about an hour and a half." 

"Awesome. Thank you so much again." Casey's gratitude was genuine. She then yawned, eyes fluttering for a moment. 

Hannah giggled, "Hey if you want to rest, don't worry. I'll wake you up when we get there." 

Casey turned to regard Hannah graciously. Hannah's skin was smooth and dark with little moles decorating her collar bones. Her eyes were a rich brown and her smile was contagious. Casey felt comforted closing her eyes and leaning back beside the girl. Casey fell into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A happy reunion! ;)

"Anna! Hey, wake up!" Hannah urged gently. "We're here!" 

Casey opened her eyes to a blur of houses and street lamps zooming by beyond the car window. Casey straightened her posture and blinked until her vision corrected itself. She looked over to the car's clock, it read: 6:37 PM. 

"Thank you, Hannah." Casey spoke sleepily.

"Where to from here?" Thomas asked, slowing the van to a halt at a stoplight. 

Casey squinted at the reflective green street sign marking the intersection, humming when she recognized the name.

"Just down that way, to your left." Casey directed. 

Thomas steered the van left and headed them down Casey's old street. They drove on silently for a minute or so as Casey took in the familiar road. Oddly, there was no traffic, and more specifically, no police cars. The neighborhood seemed deadly quiet. 

"Just a little farther ahead." Casey told Thomas, "Almost there." 

"So if your friend is home you'll be alright for the night?" Asked Liam, turning himself around to peer at Casey. 

"Yep! Everything's all good, don't worry. She'll be relieved I'm coming back. Ok the house is coming up on the left..." 

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Anna!" Hannah exclaimed, wrapping Casey in a sudden hug. 

Casey was stunned at first, but then laughed and did her best to hug Hannah back. Casey couldn't help but focus on the girl's soft skin and flowery fragrance. Casey felt incredibly lucky to have been rescued by this group of really decent kids. 

"Are you sure you'll be ok, Anna? These houses are mostly dark. Which one are you staying at?" Rachel questioned with skepticism clearly in her voice. 

Casey looked out the driver's window and spotted the unmistakable large barren yard of Uncle John's house coming up along the hill. "Right there." Casey pointed. 

"There?" Thomas confirmed. 

"Yep!" 

Rachel shot Casey a look of disbelief. "Are you... sure?" 

"Rachel don't be rude!" Matt scolded from the trunk. 

"Hey no worries!" Casey eased, "I know the place looks pretty junky. We're going to plant a nice garden at some point."

Thomas parked his van in front of the empty, unkept yard. He turned the car off and unbuckled his seatbelt to Casey's confusion. 

"I want to walk you to the door, just in case no one's home, I don't want to leave you stranded out here." Thomas explained. 

"Oh um, thank you!" Casey said, very much relieved that the group wouldn't actually leave her here. She had figured they would, and then she'd just have to walk deeper into town and rent a motel room. This definitely saved her the trouble of having to avoid the cops. 

"Thank you guys again, I hope you have fun at the concert!" Casey said, wishing them well and unbuckling her seatbelt before exiting the van. She slipped her backpack on and gave Hannah one last affectionate glance. 

"Bye Anna!" Said both Hannah and Liam loudly. Rachel said a short "Bye." While Matt sort of grunted. 

Casey sighed, walking around the back of the van to join Thomas on the sidewalk. Thomas was tall, his silhouette from the street lamp looked almost alien-like. Casey approached him, thanking him yet again for helping her out. He insisted it was nothing as they began walking towards the house. All was quiet aside from the singing insects and the crunch of leaves underfoot. 

"It's awful dark." Thomas noticed right away. 

"It is." Casey agreed.   
The front of the house had a medium-sized window that looked into the living room and from there you could see into the kitchen and out the back door.   
After trying the front door, which was obviously still locked, Casey walked over to look into the window. 

The house was nearly all dark, only a dim yellow light illuminated the space over the kitchen sink. Uncle John always left that one light on at night so he could find the refrigerator. Casey felt suddenly uneasy. Something was off about the house, she could see another light glowing from down the hallway. Down the hall was Casey's bedroom. Casey definitely had not left her light on, knowing that the day she took her revenge would be the last day she ever slept in this place. Casey squinted her eyes, unsure and growing nervous about what she was seeing, when abruptly she realized something. There was a pitch black, empty space in the kitchen. The back door to the house was swinging wide open. 

Casey stepped back from the window, eyes wide. Thomas noticed, but before he could question what was wrong, both he and Casey went rigid. At the same time, both kids heard a low growl emanate from the other side of the window. Casey felt her stomach contort into a thousand knots as she, mortified, stared back into the house.

The sharp points of the mounted buck antlers were visible in the soft light. Furniture looked like the crouched forms of monsters in the cover of the dark. Casey's eyes searched frantically up and down the walls until she could see undeniably what it was that had made the sound. 

The shadow of a person was crawling upside down onto the ceiling. An arm reached forward like the claw of a leopard and pulled the rest of the body upwards. The nightmarish figure moved slowly, stalking in the low light. It then paused and tilted it's head. Casey's horrified gaze met with a set of black eyes gleaming right back at her. 

All the breath was sucked out of Casey in this moment. A dry whimper escaped her throat. Casey's heart ceased beating for a second or more as her recognition of the person inside the house caused further symptoms of shock. The scar, the bite the Beast left on Casey's calf, stung and burned as if he were still sinking his teeth into it.

The Beast's eyes held Casey still. His muscle-ridden body seized as his sight fixated into the girl's face. His gaze absorbed her unmistakable far-set brown eyes and her trembling sharply-angled lips. Casey looked as she had before, afraid, like when he had intended to feast on her underneath the zoo. The Beast could recall vividly when he had seen her scars, and the awe and joy he felt in that moment as he learned her truth. Casey was like him, and now, here she is again. This time, they were only separated by a frail window. The two shotgun wounds Casey left on his torso, now mostly healed, ached when he looked at her. The Beast smiled wide, baring his teeth and letting out a noise somewhere between a laugh and a snarl. 

"No," Casey cried, "No..." 

"What is that? Oh shit!" Thomas started to shout, jarring Casey away from her trance. 

Casey spun around and grabbed Thomas by the arm. "Run! Run! Run! Get to the car!" She screamed. 

Thomas began to scramble away with Casey, when from behind the pair, the terror-inducing sound of shattering glass rang through both of their ears. The Beast had crashed his body through the window with ease, letting out animalistic grunts of exertion, before standing upright and beginning to pursue the kids at an unnatural speed. 

Frantically flying forwards as fast as they could through the yard, Thomas and Casey made it to the van. The other kids were yelling hysterically for their friends to get in while Liam had already moved to the driver's seat and started revving the engine. Thomas slid over the hood of the vehicle and flung himself into the passenger seat. Rachel was holding open the door to the backseat, looking petrified and letting out wails as Casey jumped into the van and slammed the door behind her. The van's doors all locked and Hannah started to restrain Rachel who was in the midst of an extreme panic fit. 

Before Casey could even look out her window, The Beast was already slamming himself against the side of the van and pushing it up off the ground. When Casey looked, The Beast was right there. A wicked smile still plastered on his face of straining muscles and bulging veins. His animal eyes again beckoned to her with their familiarness, but Casey's number one motive at this moment was to get these kids away from this super-powered cannibal. 

Liam slammed on the gas, the three wheels still in contact with the road pulled the van loose from the Beast's grip. The beast bellowed in frustration but very rapidly was able to climb onto the roof of the van as it started to accelerate away. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Casey noticed that in the gully full of trees next to uncle John's house, a police car was turned over and wrecked entirely. There was a bloody body of someone in uniform crushed and half hanging out one of the windows. Casey recoiled at the disturbing sight but very quickly turned her attention back to the heavy thumping on the van's roof. 

Rachel's screaming died down into gasps as it seemed she was now struggling to breathe. Liam let out a string of cuss words as the thumping steadily made its way over to the front of the van. Thomas was staring in astonishment and dread up at the roof where the Beast was now unseen. Matt was shouldering Casey aside to assist Hannah in trying to calm Rachel down. The van hit 60 miles per hour within a few moments and the nighttime world outside the window appeared as swirling mess to Casey. Liam sounded ecstatic with his hollering and cussing and Casey could see through the driver's mirror that the kid looked bizarrely maniacal. 

The thumping reached overtop the driver's seat and the Beast's hand smacked down against the windshield, cracking it. At this moment, Liam cried out and slammed on the breaks. Every person in the van lurched forward, everyone besides Matt having their seatbelt on. Casey watched as the Beast was propelled from the roof and flew twenty feet ahead before crashing onto the road and rolling a few times. Casey looked behind her to check on Matt who seemed to be stunned but clearly alive. His body had impacted with the backseat which now had a crack splitting through it. 

Casey turned her attention back to the Beast who was already beginning to push himself back onto his feet. Blood dripped from his elbows and knees from where he skidded against the road. Casey noticed as he moved into the reach of the headlights that his pants were different than before. He now wore grey sweatpants. 

"Yeah! Take that motherfucker!" Liam shouted, revving the engine again. 

The Beast scowled at Liam, heaving and flexing his fingers like a raptor would its talons. 

"D-dude, dude, dude! We need to drive away right now!" Thomas sputtered. 

Liam didn't acknowledge his friend, instead, Liam hit the gas and sent the car zooming towards the Beast like a mad, charging bull. 

The passengers of the van began screaming in protest, but it was too late. The van collided with the Beast, and the ended up overtop of the monster. Two distinct thumps underneath the tires let everyone know that Liam's attack had been successful. Casey shuddered as she turned to look out the rear window and saw the Beast laying motionless in the road as they drove on. 

"Is everyone OK?" Thomas asked urgently. 

Everyone turned their attention back to Thomas, feeling secure in that the Beast was far enough behind them now. Liam had sped through three red lights, and finally as they drove deeper into town, Liam felt safe enough to pull over for several minutes. 

"Is Rachel OK?" Liam asked. 

"No. We need to get her to a hospital right now, and I think Matt broke his ribs." Hannah said grimly. 

"Ok, Liam. Hospital right now." directed Thomas. 

"On it." Liam nodded. They began to drive again. Thomas took out his phone and got the hospital directions. 

Casey was silent. Shame and concern for these kids muddied her thoughts. Casey was made aware of Rachel glaring in anger at her when Rachel managed to hiss out, "You're the one who survived Kevin Crumb. You're that girl, Casey!" 

Casey was paralyzed. "No. No, my name is Anna." 

"Fuck you! This is your fault! He's going to kill us because of you!" Rachel began raising her voice again. 

"Rachel enough!" Hannah pleaded. "It's not her fault." 

"I knew it. I knew you looked familiar!" Liam exclaimed. "You're Casey Cooke. The lone survivor of the Horde's attack! Ha! I can't believe it! I just fucked up that psycho! You must be hyped!" 

Matt barked from the back, "Shut the fuck up Liam. We need to call the police." 

"No!" Casey cried. "Please, please don't!"

"Oh you bet we fucking will!" Rachel sneered. "We are going to get you arrested so you can't lure victims to any monsters ever again!" 

"I didn't mean for this to happen!" Casey sobbed, "I don't know how he found out where I lived! Please I-I'll get out of the van right now... then you can call the police once you're safe at the hospital. Please let me go! If they find me they're going to put me away." 

"No! No one's getting left behind." Thomas snapped. "Look, Casey, we won't call the police until we're all at the hospital, but we need to get you somewhere safe too." 

"Okay, yes, you're right. I'll get out in the hospital parking lot. We'll be surrounded by people. We will be safe." Casey agreed. 

"We are calling the fucking police!" Rachel screeched. 

"Enough!" Hannah yelled tearfully. 

Finally the group was silent. The tension in the van was palpable as they sped into town. Hannah held both Rachel's and Matt's hands while Thomas remained stunned and silent. Liam, riding off the high of his victory over the Beast, was unnervingly happy. Casey couldn't shake the feeling that the Beast was somehow still nearby. Casey understood that the fact he was hiding inside of her uncle's house meant that he had been seeking her. She wondered if he was intending to kill her, or if like herself, he was being compelled to come find her. Either way, none of these kids should've been involved in this. Casey hunched into herself and cried quietly. 

The group arrived at the street where the hospital was located. Pedestrians and cars sped by and the blinding lights of street lamps and store signs made the whole stretch glow. Casey blinked rapidly at the sharp lights and wiped away the last of her tears. There were dozens of people, couples, groups, and loners walking along the sidewalks. The Beast would surely not risk exposing himself to such a crowd here. The kids were finally safe.

The van pulled into the hospital's parking garage. The two bottom levels were full but they began to clear out as the group ascended. Liam, being in his weird state, ended up driving to the second highest level before parking the van. There were no other cars on this level or the three levels below. Thomas looked worried but still kept himself together enough to begin addressing Matt and Rachel. 

"Broken ribs?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah a few." Matt huffed. 

"What does Rachel need?" Thomas asked Hannah.

"I need my fucking Inhaler!" Rachel spat. 

"Okay. Liam, bro why'd you park all the way up here man, Matt has to walk down?" Thomas said, turning back to his pal in the driver's seat.

"No, look! The place has elevators." Liam signaled over to the left where there indeed was a bright orange elevator door next to a flight of stairs. "I also wanted to get Casey out of sight from people since she's saying the cops are after her." 

"Thank you." Casey said quietly, unbuckling her seatbelt and preparing to exit the van.

"Good fucking riddance." Said Rachel coldly. 

"Casey?" Hannah spoke suddenly. 

Casey turned to Hannah, her heart aching. "Yeah?" 

"I hope you stay safe." said Hannah. 

"Me too." Said Thomas.

"Yeah." Said Liam. 

"I will. Thank you guys." Whispered Casey, clutching her backpack and slipping out the door. 

Everyone else got out, too. Thomas had to help Matt out of the trunk with some fuss. Liam stood beside Casey and waited for everyone to assemble themselves. Casey turned away to look outside through the chain-link fence preventing anyone from falling from this height. A fog was setting in on the horizon, dimming the lights of the town below. Casey smelled the calming scent of the mist and sighed shakily, letting go of some of her fear. She remembered her encounter with the deer the other day, how his breath was like the mist and how gently he had rested against her hand. The sudden, pungent scent of blood startled Casey, making her spin around. 

All of the kids were still in sight. Thomas and Matt were making their way towards the elevator with Rachel and Hannah starting to follow them. Liam remained by the van, looking curiously at Casey. 

"Was the horde trying to seek their revenge on you for escaping?" Liam asked. "Is that why he was hiding in your house?" 

"Um-" Casey started. 

From underneath the van, a filthy, bloodied hand emerged, grabbing Liam by the ankle. The boy screamed as he was pulled onto the hard floor. The sound of his bones snapping underneath the squeeze of the Beast's hand echoed in the large empty space. 

"Liam!" Casey screamed, running to his aid. She latched onto his arm and pulled desperately. 

Thomas and Hannah were soon on either side of Casey, trying to pull Liam away while simultaneously kicking at the Beast's hand. 

"Let him go! Please!" Hannah cried. 

The Beast began to crawl out fully from underneath the vehicle. His face was twisted in fury as he kept his hold on the flailing boy. The Beast's attention turned to Casey again and he let out a sinister growl, like a dog possessive over its meal. Casey tightened her grip on Liam's arm, glaring right back at the Beast. "Let him go." She commanded. 

The Beast smiled. "He's impure." He spoke slowly. 

Casey gasped, feeling her stomach tearing itself apart. "...Please don't." She could barely speak. 

The Beast stood, yanking Liam away from his friends with a threatening grunt. Thomas, Hannah, and Casey all stood motionless in shock. The Beast held Liam as he thrashed and squealed in pain.

"Maybe, I won't eat this one." The Beast reasoned. "Perhaps... I'll eat the girl beside you. She seems like the most impure of this herd." 

Startlingly fast, the Beast tossed Liam aside and lunged towards Hannah. Casey instinctively grabbed Hannah and pulled her away. The Beast ended up charging into the wall but quickly recovered and started climbing up the very wall. 

"Everyone get to the elevator!" Thomas shouted, draping Liam over his shoulders and straining to make a quick escape. 

Like a reptile, the Beast scurried across the ceiling above the running teenagers, looking down at them hungrily. He was still deciding which one would be his sacrifice. He saw Casey was protective of that one girl. She held her hand as they ran. A part of him wanted this one more for that reason, to separate Casey further from those who are impure. The Beast figured he should be generous to Casey, however, and not eat the one she's fond of. He would eat the short, purple-haired girl instead. 

Rachel was the closest to reaching the elevator. Matt limped along behind her. Reaching the orange door, Rachel slammed the button repeatedly, all while screaming her head off. She sobbed, enraged and hysteric, while her friends struggled to catch up. 

When Rachel turned around, she expected to see her friends beside her and the Beast behind them. Instead, Rachel was met with the sight of a muscle-bound, veiny torso flexing with each loud breath. Rachel's eyes traveled upwards and met with the Beast's face, bearing a disdainful expression towards her. He snarled down at her and his black eyes glowed with malice. 

Rachel tried to scream, but the Beast's hands were around her face before any sound could escape. He jumped back onto the wall before the girl's friends could reach her, and snapped Rachel's neck as he resumed crawling on the ceiling. 

"No!" Hannah cried out, a hand coming to cover her mouth in horror. 

The elevator door opened. Matt had made his way inside and was holding the entrance for his friends. "Hurry up! C'mon!" He shouted, waving. 

Thomas dropped Liam off inside the elevator and then ran back out to meet Casey and Hannah. He escorted Hannah inside as she cried to save Laura. Thomas then turned back around and extended his hand to grab Casey but she darted to the side to avoid the boy's grasp and shoved him backwards into the elevator. 

"No, you have to go! Rachel's gone. Please save yourselves! I'm so sorry!" Casey cried as the doors rolled close. The last thing Casey saw of the four kids were their sad, horrified eyes before being covered by a wall of orange. The elevator descended, and they were gone. 

The sound of wet crunching from behind Casey sent images of Claire and Marcia dead shooting through her mind once more. Casey didn't want to turn around and face it again, it was too much. The slurping and sucking sounds continued and Casey let a whole new wave of disgusted sobs race through her body. 

"Please just stop." Casey choked. 

"Mmmmph." The Beast moaned, his mouth clearly full of flesh. 

A ripping sound, like a paper bag being opened, forced Casey's attention. She turned around to see Rachel's face upside down, a permanent expression of pain and horror formed into her features. Rachel was being held by her waist, dangling down from the ceiling with her arms reaching towards the ground. Her abdomen was a gaping, bloody cavern with the Beasts face nearly submerged in her guts. 

Casey dropped to her knees, looking at the ground. Casey couldn't save one girl, but she had saved Hannah and the others, or rather, the Beast spared them. At least this fact could be her solace in this seemingly endless tragedy. 

After a few moments, Rachel's carcass dropped to the ground with a sickening splat. The Beast leaped down afterwards. He licked the blood off of his lips and smeared away a little more with his arm, much like how a cat grooms its face. The Beast then raised himself, looking at Casey as she crouched on the floor. He regarded her contently, relief flooding through him now that she was finally with him again. Her dark hair was blowing softly in the breeze from a approaching storm. 

"Rejoice." The Beast spoke, stepping around Rachel's body and then crawling on all fours over to Casey. 

Casey startled and fell backwards as the Beast came towards her. The tears that clouded her eyes made Casey's vision of him blurry, but she could still see all of the red on his body. 

"N-no." Casey whispered, her body shivering uncontrollably. 

"Shhhh. Everything's okay now. We found you." The Beast assured. He got onto his knees before Casey and loomed above her as she cowered. 

"I-I wanted to find you again but..." Casey admitted between cries, "I didn't want you to kill anyone."

"We needed to find someplace safe before we could bring you with us." The Beast then sighed, "You know they are impure. They don't matter." 

"Yes they do!" Casey weeped. 

"Shhhh." The Beast reached down and with astounding tenderness wiped away the tears from Casey's eyes. 

Casey gasped, seeing him clearly now. The Beast looked down at her with the same expression he had after seeing her scars, empathy and pure elation. 

"It's time to come home, Casey." The Beast said warmly. 

Casey felt herself growing faint from exhaustion. She tried to murmur something but could not manage. The Beast scooped Casey up into his bloody arms as if she weighed nothing. He made a deep sound like a feline's purring and his body felt secure. 

With Casey now safely cradled in his arms, the Beast ran up to the top of the parking garage, the piercing sound of police sirens echoing up the levels of the building behind them. With an exhilarated yell, the Beast charged off the edge of the building. Both the monster and the girl were flying in mid air for many moments. During this time, Casey peered down at the town far below her. Fainting, her eyes rolled back into her head and everything went dark.


	4. Chapter 4

Casey's senses returned to her, gradually. The first thing the girl felt was immense warmth and comfort all around her body, only comparable to being wrapped in a mother's arms or maybe the womb. The softness of her resting place made Casey think "bed" before she was awake to see it. The scent all around her was fresh and flowery, unlike the miserable, stale bed she was used to sleeping in. Her fingers curled into the fluffy blanket and pillow, inhaling the pleasant fragrance. Casey became aware of the muffled sound of birds singing merrily, like how they had when she was out in the woods, but this couldn't be the woods. There was no bitter wind biting at Casey's nose, and no scratching leaves getting tangled in her hair. Casey realized she must be in a bedroom somewhere. The hospital? No, she never made it to the hospital, the Beast had taken her. 

Casey's eyes flew open and she shot upright with a loud gasp. The covers fell off of her and the bed made a startled creak as Casey began to rapidly assess her surroundings. 

Casey was in a place she had never been before, but it was indeed a bedroom. The pastel lavender wallpaper was decorated with framed paintings of flowers and animals while the white tin ceiling bore a fancy patterned design. The old looking furniture consisted of a beautifully carved dresser with a large circular mirror, a small bedside table with an elegant lamp and a flower vase positioned on it, a bookshelf with several books on the highest level, and a chair backed against the wall near the foot of the bed and bedroom door. On this chair was Casey's backpack. Finally, of course, was the bed itself. There was one large window just to Casey's left. The window was curved, and the room curved with it. Frilly white curtains were opened with bows, letting the radiant sunlight into the room. Casey's mouth opened in astonishment and her heart skipped as she looked outside. 

A huge blue-green pond sparkled underneath the morning sun. Surrounded by plant growth and towering autumn trees. The view Casey had of this pond looked like a romanticized landscape painting. Leading up to the water was a garden with a trail going through it. Casey could tell from the angle at which she saw the outside world that the room she was in was either on the second or third story of a house. 

Casey, still confused and unsure but no longer scared, slipped out of the bed. Her bare feet touched the cold wooden floor and she jumped slightly. She then noticed a folded piece of paper tucked underneath the flower vase. It had "Casey please read" written on it in very pretty handwriting. Casey obeyed the note and opened it up, it read: "Welcome home dearest Casey. Please make yourself acquainted as this is your room now. I hope you like the colors and the paintings we picked for you. I thought you might like the one of the deer in particular.   
There are several outfits waiting for you in your dresser and Dennis has left a hamper in your bathroom for any dirty clothes. Your bathroom is just across the hallway. Everything you need should be there. Let me know if anything else is required for your comfort. Please come downstairs as soon as you're ready and I shall explain the rest to you. Sincerely, Patricia" 

Casey continued reading below Patricia's note. There was a crude crayon drawing of a Rudolph character with the caption scrawled in blue and yellow: "WELCOME HOME K SEE!!! FROM HEDWIG" 

Casey let out something between a cry and a laugh and she couldn't help but smile. She hoped that Hedwig could forgive her for manipulating him. Patricia being so cheerful, Casey knew, was a mask for a much more frightening woman. Casey scooted out of bed and noticed on the wall above where she slept was a gorgeous oil painting of a deer herd trudging through a pine forest. Patricia was correct, Casey really liked it.

Inspecting the dresser, Casey discovered her outfit selection. All options were long-sleeved dresses and nightgowns that went down to her ankles. They varied slightly in color and material, and Casey ended up choosing an off white turtleneck dress. Casey also found a wide selection of underwear and socks which surprised the girl greatly. One of the Horde must have been able to go out shopping without getting spotted. 

Casey cautiously approached the door with the bundle of clothes in her arms, not wanting to leave the peaceful illusion of this bedroom. She peeked into her backpack just to confirm that the hunting knife was indeed gone. The girl then opened the door a crack and peered outside. 

Across the hallway, there was in fact a door with a note on it reading "Casey's Bathroom." Casey felt a little more confident as she stepped outside her room. She looked at her own door and on it was a note saying "Casey's room" in that same pretty handwriting. The wallpaper in this space was white and the ceiling was very high. Casey looked further down the hallway and saw three more doors on her side and a grand stairway on the other. The railings of the stairs were carved like spirals from dark reddish wood. Each of the three doors had their own label as well. Closest to Casey's room was "Patricia" then "Hedwig" then "Dennis." This place really was a true home for the Horde. 

Casey quickly ran across the hall to her bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. A mix of bewilderment, concern, and a strange happiness energized the young girl. She undressed and tossed her leggings and shirt into the hamper. Casey's jacket had been missing when she woke up but understandably because it was likely covered in blood. Casey checked out the rest of the bathroom. It had a closet, a bathtub/shower, toilet, sink, and mirror. Resting on the sink was a tiny glass vase with a cluster of purple flowers in it. The smell of the flowers made Casey feel somewhat relaxed as she exhaled away her tension. Casey turned to look at herself in the mirror naked, something she rarely ever did, and was struck by how unharmed she appeared after jumping off a 7 story building. Casey shuddered at the memory of being so high, but clearly the Beast with his powers had brought them back down to earth safely. The scars on Casey's body cast shadows in the morning light due to how raised they are. If Casey hadn't gotten into the habit of reopening her wounds she wondered if the Beast would have even seen them. Glancing over the rest of her body, Casey noticed her stomach looked quite empty. It had been a while since she'd eaten anything. Normally Casey would feel shame looking at herself like this, but after surviving and conquering so much that nearly destroyed her, she finally felt a glimmer of respect for herself. 

Casey decided to shower before drying her hair and putting on the comfy dress. Once again, the girl felt the desire to stay in this safe seeming room, but the pull of curiosity and an odd responsibly compelled her to travel downstairs. Casey reentered the hallway when her ears caught on to something pleasant, a woman was humming. The song was like a lullaby, entrancing and sweet.

Casey gingerly treaded down the stairs towards the sound and found herself coming out into a large space that acted as both a living room and kitchen. The walls of the living room side were a deep red while the wall in the kitchen area was a eggshell white. There was a fireplace in the living room and surrounding it were two chairs and a gorgeous black chaise lounge. To the far end of the living room was a piano. Looking over to the kitchen side, there was a small dining table, a refrigerator, a counter, a sink, oven, and lots of wooden cabinets. All along the counter were various candles and plates decorating the area in a weird display. Nearly everything had a vase of flowers on it and the floor, Casey discovered, was soft underneath her toes. On the living room side was a massive rug with a whole mural of angels and devils printed into it. 

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Patricia chimed, appearing suddenly from around the corner, heels clacking against the tiles of the kitchen floor. "It's wonderful to see you again." 

Casey startled, but recovered quickly, as her eyes danced with Patricia's. "Hello! Um... Good morning." 

Patricia smiled, pulling out one of the dining table seats for Casey. Patricia was dressed in a maroon turtleneck, similar to the one she wore before, paired with a long grey skirt. Patricia's necklace had a silver pendant dangling at the end. She wore her black heels with black tights and had a watch around her wrist and a chain of keys at her hip. Each small movement Patricia made was calculated and graceful, never failing to keep Casey's eyes on her. The girl felt a vast mixture of emotions seeing Patricia again, most of which made her feel on edge. Patricia was the mastermind, the zealot of the Beast's religion, and the high priestess behind all of this death, even if the Beast was the perpetrator. Casey remembered well how eager Patricia was to let loose the monster to devour the "unworthy young." Still, Casey could recall the pleasant sensation of having her hair brushed by Patricia's delicate hands and how calm and nurturing Patricia's demeanor was... until it wasn't. 

"Thank you." Casey said quickly, walking over and taking her seat. 

Patricia hovered by Casey for a moment. "How are you feeling, Dear? Is everything to your liking so far?" 

"I'm alright. Yes, this place is really beautiful. How... did you get it?" Casey asked with trepidation, looking up at the woman. 

Patricia's smile broadened as she walked over to the countertop. "Mmm! I just adore it here. Everything is just so lovely." Patricia turned to give Casey a mischievous look, her hand hovering just by the knife rack. "Oh you'd never guess how fortunate we were to acquire this place." 

Casey swallowed nervously. She feared greatly that the Horde had killed someone, or even a family, in order to live in this house. "How?" Casey whispered.

"You'll meet her soon, there's a charming old blind woman downstairs. She utterly adores Hedwig and she's great for a laugh. Her name is Mrs. Edna." Patricia informed Casey gleefully. 

Casey's heart slowed in relief. She looked down at her hands and silently prayed "thank you." 

"Do you like tea, Casey?" Asked Patricia. 

"Oh, yes." 

"Excellent! I love tea, it warms up the blood." Patricia said, beginning to set the kettle.

Casey found herself feeling pleasant at this moment. Both the Beast and Patricia were caring for Casey and addressing her by her name. She was no longer "sacred food" in their eyes. The Horde perhaps felt kindred with Casey in the same way she did them, but still, the girl felt unsure about why the Beast had tracked down where she lived. Something told Casey that Patricia had all the answers. 

"I do like the deer painting." Casey spoke up. "Where did you find it?" 

"The attic of this house is full of old paintings and furniture." Patricia started excitedly, "I brought down the animal paintings to be reminiscent of the lovely creatures at the zoo. I could tell from your knowledge of deer being crepuscular and seeing how confident you were with the shotgun that perhaps you are very close with those animals in particular. Was my presumption correct?" Patricia asked as her head tilted to the side, eyes squinting. 

"Yes. I really like deer. I've never killed one, but I've witnessed them die. I am very fond of them." Casey replied honestly. 

Patricia remained keen, "Hmm. But someone taught you how to use the gun, yes?" 

"Yes, my father did. He took me hunting when I was little."

"Ah, I see. The Beast told me that your house had many antler mounts on the walls. Did your father continue hunting after you decided not to?" 

"No, my father passed away when I was five, shortly after a hunting trip." Casey said quietly. 

Patricia's eyes flashed with a genuine sadness that Casey could feel from across the room. "I'm very sorry." 

"It's okay." 

Patricia was silent for a moment. She watched Casey's large eyes blink slowly and couldn't help but stare at the girl's fair skin and pouty lips. Patricia couldn't deny that even when she intended for Casey to die, she was fond her. Casey obeyed instruction and couldn't really help being so quietly intriguing. Patricia was trying hard to restrain her happiness at Casey's return, but her desire to know everything about the girl was hard to keep at bay. "Is... that when it happened? When you were made pure?" 

"My father dying? Sort of. He died of a heart attack." Casey looked away from Patricia, trying to make visible her discomfort at the topic. 

Patricia sighed. She tapped her fingers on the counter and furrowed her brow in thought. "I see that your bracelet is in fact a rosary. Is religion an important part of your life, Casey?" 

"Well um, ever since I was young I've wanted to have faith in something. Having the bracelet always kinda comforted me... but no, I guess I don't truly believe." Casey responded. 

"Hmm. We will talk more about this. More presently, The Beast, he told me of your scars and how most looked self inflicted. All those years of pain you went through, having no idea how important you are and powerful you could be." Patricia said, shaking her head. She stepped towards Casey and placed her hands on the table. "I want you to know how truly sorry we all are. Dennis, Hedwig and I. We feel immense grief over not realizing you were pure and placing you through the same process as the food." 

Casey tried very hard not to glare at Patricia for referring to Marcia and Claire as food. 

"Dennis feels horrible for not choosing you first in his vulgar little games. At least then he would have seen your scars and spared you the whole ordeal. None the less, we deeply regret everything we did to torment and frighten you." Patricia moved back to the counter to tend to the tea, letting her remorse bleed into Casey. "Don't worry, we have you now, you're safe. You won't ever have to fear such things again." 

"It's okay, Miss Patricia. None of you could have known." Casey spoke, feeling strange. "Why did the Beast want to find me and bring me back here?" She asked slowly. "I thought he just wanted to spare me?" 

Patricia turned to Casey with a troubled look on her face. "Oh no no, Casey. The Beast knew then that he wanted to protect you, to have you join us. He firmly believes you will become extraordinary, as do I. We just needed to secure a home first to keep you safe." 

Casey looked around the room, feeling almost humbled. "So, no one had to die, the woman who lives here is just blind?" 

Patricia chuckled dryly. "Yes, Mrs. Edna gets along with all of us quite well. Dennis helps her with errands and housework while I decorate and prepare meals. Oh! Perchance did you see your bedroom view yet?"

"Yes! it's really beautiful... but, I'm confused, how can Dennis run errands in public when his face is on the news?" 

Patricia's hands folded and her fingers rubbed together nervously. "This is a very, very rural part of Pennsylvania. The one general store nearby is run by an old man who likely doesn't partake in much social media. Dennis also is required to wear a wig and hat which looks absurd but aides in hiding his identity. Dennis is a surprisingly good actor you know. The Beast was very wise to bring us all here, Casey." 

Casey nodded in agreement. Two big elephants in the room still remained, and caused her discomfort. The Horde had killed innocent people, one only just last night. Casey couldn't overlook that despite being a murderer herself. She had to find a way to get them to stop, but Casey knew there would be no reasoning with Patricia. Another issue was discussing Casey's past, whether or not she'd have to reveal everything to her former captors. Maybe the horde would tell Casey more about themselves in return. She knew that most of the identities in Kevin's body were against all this. There still could be a way to stop the killing. 

The tea kettle began to whistle and with a pleased "Ah!" Patricia poured them each a cup. She then joined Casey at the table, sitting across from her and handing Casey her tea. The aroma of the drink was something between herbs and citrus and Casey gratefully took a sip. The warmth in her belly lifted her spirits. 

"It's really good. Thank you." Said Casey. 

Patricia grinned and took a sip herself. "I'm so pleased you like it! There's lots of different kinds for you to try here. We are very well stocked on food and drink at the moment." She paused, looking at Casey differently, "Last night, the Beast fed on a impure girl in the group you were with. Were those your friends?" 

Casey was surprised by Patricia's concern. "No, I had only just met them. I've never really had anyone like a friend." 

"Well, I hope we grow to be friends." Patricia said sweetly. 

Casey felt fluttery all of a sudden. She smiled, no longer feeling as nervous. "I hope so too." 

Patricia made one of her content "Mmm!" sounds before finishing her tea and going to the sink. "Did you know... female lions nurse the cubs of other lionesses in their pride as well as their own young?" 

"No, but that's really neat. Did you know that deer, just like people, have thirty-two teeth?" 

"Hmm! What a fun fact! I just love animals. So... fascinating!" Patricia looked almost giddy as she rinsed out her teacup and set it aside. "Well, I must allow Dennis to do his work for the day. He'll be glad to show you the rest of the house and explain the rules to you. I will see you again later on tonight." As Patricia walked by Casey on her way upstairs, she glided her hand across the girl's shoulders and whispered, "I hope you have a pleasant day, dear." 

With that, the woman was gone and Casey was left with goosebumps. 

Five minutes passed by. Casey waited quietly in her seat, looking around the room in more detail. She felt unsure whether or not she should move around or do something. Casey recalled that Dennis was extremely orderly and needed things to be clean. Patricia was very tidy, and Casey hadn't made any mess, but the girl still felt uneasy. She feared Dennis would be upset about something. Dennis was predatory. Casey remembered how he had attempted to harass Marcia under the zoo. Casey's fist clenched at the memory. She hoped since Patricia and the Beast wanted her to join them now, Dennis would accept her as well. Casey still wasn't sure if she could let her guard down around this man. 

Casey looked into her empty cup and decided to rinse it. She went over to the counter and washed her cup just as she saw Patricia do. Once clean, Casey set her cup beside the other and sat back down in her chair. Casey reflected on doing the dishes back at uncle John's house. If she failed to do so, she would be hurt. In this new home, Casey marveled at how that would not be happening. 

Hard steps coming down the stairs brought Casey back to the present moment. Dennis came into view. The man's distraught expression and glasses were his unmistakable trademarks. Dennis wore a black tight-fitting button up shirt with grey pants and the same watch and keys that remained from Patricia. Dennis's intense gaze found Casey and he quickly strode over to her. Casey leaned back in her chair, startled by his pace. 

Dennis reached the table, took out a cloth, and wiped down his chair before sitting. Casey watched him do this for a few moments until he was situated with his hands folded together. Dennis wasn't looking directly at Casey anymore. He looked ashamedly away from the girl and licked his lips. It was Casey who decided to break the silence. 

"Hey, Dennis." Casey said gently. 

Dennis's eyes returned to Casey. He looked strikingly sad. 

"I'm so sorry." Were Dennis's first words. "I had no idea..." 

"It's okay." Casey nodded. "I don't hold a grudge against any of you for not knowing. I try to hide my scars from everyone. I didn't think the Beast would save me because of it." 

Dennis's eyes seemed to brighten slightly. 

"I will always feel guilt over what we did to you." Dennis spoke seriously, "but thank you for forgiving us." 

Casey was quiet in thought as Dennis stood up. He paced around the room for a minute, adjusting the flower vases and inspecting the dishes. He'd look back and Casey every few moments. Casey didn't look at him, understanding that he needed to feel more secure. 

"I Uh, I'm supposed to tell you the rules and show you the boundaries of this place." Dennis said finally. "Did Patricia tell you anything already?" 

"No, she left it to you. She told me about Mrs. Edna and my room." 

"Ok, then I'll start with the indoor house rules." Dennis decided, returning to his seat across from Casey. He adjusted his glasses, taking a deep breath. 

"Alright so, biggest rules are: please keep things clean. You don't seem too messy but we are all guests in this house so it's extra important we keep it nice. You're welcome to assist Patricia and I in washing dishes if you like. Hedwig likes to leave trash and toys around the house, so please help us be on top of that." 

"Will do." Casey said surely. 

"Second, don't enter the other rooms. They should be locked, but If not, please just knock if you need one of us. Hedwig will probably invite you into his room, and that's fine, just please respect our privacy." 

Casey nodded quickly. 

"Ok next, uh, this one should be obvious but, don't leave the house or go see Mrs Edna without our supervision or without letting us know. We want you to feel safe and comfortable here, but we're still unsure of... many things about you." 

"I understand." 

"Finally, I don't want you to be afraid of me. All I ask is that your clothes stay clean and that you are always wearing clothes around the house. I'm really, really trying to be good." Dennis's finished, slightly flustered at having to address his major flaw. 

"I promise to follow all the rules." Said Casey. "I'm grateful to be here, and I mean that." 

Dennis sighed again, looking relieved. "Ok, go put your shoes on then come back down and follow me." 

Casey did as she was instructed and came back downstairs wearing her boots. Dennis walked rigidly and led Casey over to a door in the living area, opening it. They then began walking down a set of stairs after Casey shut the door behind them. Dennis would look behind him to check on the girl constantly as they proceeded down into a hallway with large double-doors at the end. Paintings of tigers and lions along the walls were set in between sconces that gave off dim warm light. Casey looked closely at one painting were a lion was depicted roaring over the carcass of a zebra. It vaguely reminded Casey of the statue at the Philadelphia zoo, "The Dying Lioness." 

"Over here." Dennis called out, bringing Casey's attention back to the doors at the end of the hallway. 

Casey walked over. Dennis looked at her oddly before speaking, "Mrs Edna is eighty three, she's very old and may be sleeping. I'll wake her up though, she is expecting to meet you."

Casey was surprised. "Does she think I'm part of the family?"

"Yes, she thinks you are Patricia's step-daughter, and that Patricia is my sister." 

"Oh... alright. Is my name still Casey?" 

Dennis huffed, "Yes, all our names are the same. It's just that our collective last name is now Joy." With that, Dennis unlocked the doors with one of his keys, opening them. He ushered for Casey to go in first. 

Casey did so, and was immediately struck my the musty smell of old things. The room she entered was tight with furniture and clutter. In the center of the space was a television and a couch with an old woman in a blue robe laying back into it. She looked almost like a corpse with her mouth gaping open and a black cat licking at her fingers. Dennis came up behind Casey and called out to the woman, "Good afternoon." 

With that, the woman came alive. Her foggy blue eyes popped open and her toothy smile beamed wide in Casey and Dennis's direction. The old woman's curly white hair bounced as she turned herself on the couch. 

"Hello Dennis dear!" Mrs Edna cooed. "Is our sweet Casey here yet?"

"Yes she is." Dennis replied, beginning to pick up some mess of papers from the edge of the couch. "Mrs Edna, Casey. Casey, Mrs Edna." 

Casey stepped over to the blind old woman and sat beside her on the couch. She outstretched her hand to the woman's and smiled despite Mrs Edna not being able to see. "How do you do? It's good to meet you."

"Oh lovely child! It's so good to finally meet you too! Your sweet step-mother simply couldn't stop gushing over you! You seem like a brilliant young lady." Edna chirped, clasping Casey's hand tightly. 

"And who's this?" Casey giggled as the black cat began purring and rubbing against her. The feline's large yellow eyes squinted into what looked like a happy expression. 

"This is Kitty! He's my little shadow." Edna spoke adoringly. "You like animals, Casey?" 

"Yes, I do a lot." 

"Well, you're in luck. There's lots of nature outside. When I was more spry, I could spend all day out there watching the critters." Mrs Edna's clouded eyes twinkled. "I'm sure your uncle Dennis will show you all around. Oh! You'll just love it." 

From the back of the room, Dennis made a sound of agreement. He had already disposed of the papers from the couch and was now hurriedly organizing some books on a self. 

"How long have you lived here, Mrs Edna?" Asked Casey. 

"Ever since I was thirty this town has been my home. My husband and I used to have a farm out here. I moved into this old house after he passed away. I feel cozy here, and I'm overjoyed to have lovely Dennis now to take care of little old me." Mrs Edna chuckled. "Now Dennis, go on! Take Casey outside so she can see the pond!" 

"Yeah, alright." Dennis seemed satisfied with how the books were arranged. He shoved his hands in his pockets and gave the area a final once over. Dennis had cleaned Mrs Edna's apartment earlier that morning but she still had managed to dishevel her space within hours. Finally, Dennis's meticulous needs for the room had been satiated. As he walked back over to the couch, Dennis let himself smile slightly. He felt pleased that Casey and Edna were getting on so easily. Casey was going along well with her instructions and he hoped that she would continue to be so accepting. Dennis was fully ready to restrain the girl if she tried to run away, but he was glad at the thought that he wouldn't have to. 

Casey stood from the couch, giving Kitty one last scratch. "It was great meeting you!" She told Mrs Edna. 

"It was great meeting you too, Dearie! We will talk more over tea and cookies sometime!" The old woman said, waving farewell. "Now, go on! Have fun exploring!" 

"Thank you very much ma'am." Casey laughed, moving to Dennis's side as he gestured for her to follow him. 

Dennis led Casey into one last room, this one being Mrs. Edna's kitchen at the front of the house. The room was well lit with many windows, despite them all having metal bars outside of them. This was the ground level, so Casey could see now that the house was three stories tall, with Casey and the Horde's bedrooms being all on the third story. 

Dennis glided over to the front door, beginning to unlock it. He used two of his keys here, being that he added a whole extra lock to the door upon moving in. Dennis then turned around to face Casey. "So um, we're about to go outside. Please stay by me, OK?" 

"Dennis, I promise I will." Said Casey. 

Dennis sighed, looking at Casey with uncertainty. He waved her over, and as the girl came up beside the man, he pushed the door open. 

Midday light and sun-heated wind flowed into the room along with the smell of decaying leaves. Casey's sight was met with dense woods all around. She curiously stepped outside onto a small covered porch, looking over to the right and immediately being struck by the sight of the pond and garden. The sun was now lower in the sky and the light against the water was less intense. The girl could clearly see every leaf defined and every gentle ripple in the water. Casey took a deep breath, letting herself smile widely. She could feel tears behind her eyes but felt no shame in letting them be free. There was no denying that the beauty of this isolated place was quietly moving, and Casey felt alive. 

Dennis watched Casey's reaction with a mixture of pleasant surprise and reassurance. Dennis knew from what the Beast had told him that Casey was very different from the others her age, that she was truly broken and worthy of becoming something incredible. Dennis had feared that Casey would be immature, resisting of everything new, and eager to expose the Horde and rejoin a cluster of impure young or her family. Patricia had just informed Dennis about Casey's father dying while she was young, absent fathers being something Dennis understood greatly. Because of this, Dennis was feeling himself grow more connected to Casey, seeing her as something beyond just a tempting young girl. "I take it that you like this place." 

Casey turned to Dennis, still smiling unashamed. "I wish I could convey how happy this makes me. May I get closer?" 

Dennis was startled for a moment but then realized she was talking about the pond. "Oh uh, yeah of course."

"Thank you." Said Casey as she stepped down from the porch. Dennis followed her. 

Casey looked around once again and realized that the narrow dirt driveway leading up to the house had no end in sight. It must link up to a road somewhere, but wherever that road was is likely very far away. The house appeared to be in the middle of a thick woods. Casey turned to face the building to take in what it looked like from the outside. It's paint was off white, but clearly very old and chipping into grey. The accents of the house, such as shutters and porch railings, were all a soft pink. One corner of the house, had a tower, and Casey realized that the highest window on that tower was the window to her bedroom. 

Casey's attention drifted back to the pond. To reach the water, one has to go through a path in the garden. Casey pranced over eagerly. Most of the vines the garden were barren for the fall, but certain flowers still bloomed and their colors popped against the fallen leaves. Casey's joy grew as birds flew overhead and began filling the air with their songs. 

Dennis crossed his arms, clearly uncomfortable with having vines snagging on his clothes and dirt undoubtedly collecting on his shoes. Still, seeing Casey in such a happy state made Dennis feel like he was doing something correct. He could feel his heart jumping slightly as he watched her dance around the flowers. 

Casey reached the edge of the pond, now greatly appreciating the scale of it. Lilly pads adorned its borders and cat tails stuck out from the water in clusters. The water itself faded from clear, to reddish, to black. Rocks and reeds could be seen on the slightly sandy bottom. Casey could make out small moving shadows, several little fish. The girl was mesmerized. 

Dennis let Casey play around the pond for half an hour or so without disturbing her. She made her way around the perimeter, to Dennis's incredible discomfort, through reeds and shrubbery. Casey picked up stones from the bank and tossed them, successfully skipping them once or twice. Mostly, Casey just crouched and watched the water. To see someone so content with such a small piece of nature made Dennis feel somehow warm. Though Dennis's OCD wouldn't let him stand to get dirty, he did greatly appreciate the wild and all the serenity this quiet woods had provided him. 

Casey stood up, a gust of wind blowing her hair back from her face. She spun to greet Dennis, smiling at him. "So, how far am I allowed to go?" 

"For now, just around the pond and in the yard please. As time passes, we can show you the trails around the woods. Now uh, I have to do some housework so let's go back inside." Dennis began to turn away and walk towards the house. Casey followed. 

Dennis let Casey inside, then quickly locked the door behind them. Clouds had moved in to cover the afternoon sun, dimming the interior of the house. "Take off your shoes please." Said Dennis. 

Casey did so, sitting down and pulling off each boot. She handed them to Dennis who set them neatly on a mat beside the door. 

Dennis and Casey crept quietly past Mrs. Edna who had resumed sleeping on her couch, her TV blasting infomercials loudly. They made their way back through the double doors, up the stairs, and back into their shared living space, Dennis locking doors all along the way. Dennis now stood anxiously by the fireplace, looking away from Casey. "Okay, now you're free to go do whatever you like. There's those books in your room if you like reading, um...?" 

Casey nodded, "I'll do just that." 

"Right, I gotta go do some work on the furnace. Patricia will be back in a couple hours. Please behave." Those were Dennis's final words before he awkwardly reopened the door they just came through and departed. 

Casey was alone now, feeling remarkably calm. Dennis had been pleasant enough company despite his uncomfortable demeanor and he was starting to grow on Casey. Now, the girl was left with deciding what she should do next. 

Casey considered exploring the rest of the house but dismissed it knowing she'd probably be snooping. In the end, she went back to her room, plopped onto the bed, and read a book, "White Fang," to pass the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dennis and the kinky nun are back! Can Casey convince them to try and stop the Beast? 
> 
> Ugh I love Patricia so much I would die for her.


	5. Chapter 5

The sky glowed red as the sun began to set and the light of the day faded. Casey switched on her bedside lamp to continue reading her book. The warm light made her feel quite comfortable in her little room, especially after discovering that the door had a lock. Earlier, Casey had paused reading to search through her backpack and remove her childhood diary. She decided to keep it hidden from the Horde, placing it under her mattress. Casey wrapped herself tightly in her blankets and reflected on the day as she read. She still couldn't quite figure out her feelings about Patricia and Dennis. Casey was aware that she and they were still on opposing sides when it came to what is morally acceptable. Dennis could maybe be persuaded in time. Patricia will likely try to persuade Casey... but persuade to do what? Casey still didn't understand exactly what the Beast wanted for her, aside from believing she could be extraordinary. Did that mean that she could have powers like him? Kevin also flashed through Casey's mind. "Kill me." Kevin had pleaded, horrified by what the Horde had done. The dead older woman laying on the floor was Kevin's psychiatrist, Casey had discovered this from hearing the news stories. Casey wanted to know who Dr. Fletcher was and why she was there. Reading about the life of a brave wolf-dog was only a somewhat helpful distraction from all this.

A knock at Casey's door grabbed the girl's attention. "Hello?" 

"It's me, dear." A familiar British accent cooed. "May I come in?" 

"Um, sure." Casey responded as she got up to open the door. 

Before Casey could reach the door, Patricia had already unlocked it with one of her keys and stepped inside. The woman was wearing a moss green sweater dress that flares out at the waist and hugged her body flatteringly. She wore a new necklace and shawl, both with hints of lighter green throughout. Patricia was smiling with her hands clasped together around a hairbrush. Her bright eyes roamed over Casey for a moment before she let out a soft laugh. "Sweet thing, you must let me brush out your hair before you have your supper. You look quite disheveled from rolling around in bed all day." 

Casey blushed, it was likely true, she realized as she looked down at the frizzy knotted ends of her dark hair. 

"Come, come. Sit." Patricia said, walking around the girl and patting a spot on the bed. 

Casey did as she was told. She sat herself down and Patricia did the same beside her. The woman adjusted Casey roughly by the shoulders until she was satisfied with her angle and Casey was nearly in the woman's lap. Casey held in gasps at the contact, feeling strange and alarmed as the same hands that ripped open abdomens began soothingly stroking her scalp and neck, separating locks of hair. 

"Mmm! I do love your hair Casey. How ever did you manage to grow it out so long?" Patricia asked, running the hairbrush slowly through Casey's mane, giving the girl small tingles. 

"I never really cut it once I got older." admitted Casey, "When I was little it was shorter and curly. At the same time I started giving myself scars, I let my hair grow. I wanted to hide my face." 

"You have a very pretty face. You don't have to hide it here, with us." Patricia spoke gently, carefully unknotting more of Casey's hair. "Here, I'll braid your hair for you." 

Casey had never genuinely been complemented like that before. She sighed shakily, attempting to let go of her emotional state. "Thank you."

Patricia sighed as well, beginning to pull apart strands to start Casey's braid with. "At some point, I'd love to see your scars with my own eyes." 

Casey went cold. "Why?" 

"Because they tell your story, and I don't  
want to pressure you to tell me everything just yet. I want you to know that you're cherished with us. No one will hurt you." Patricia assured, beginning to form her French braid. 

"T-thank you, Patri- miss Patricia." Casey stuttered. 

"Oh dear, it's alright. You may simply call me Patricia if you wish. I like the way my name sounds on your tongue." The woman teased. 

Casey became at ease, relaxing into Patricia's touch. Her movements felt motherly, how gently Patricia's fingers wove her hair into a elegant design. Casey had no memories of her mother, but she was well aware she vastly preferred the touch of feminine hands. 

"I love this." Patricia whispered. "I'll have to braid your hair every day. You probably know this, but, many animals use grooming each other as a means to bond. I think it works, yes?" 

Casey had to smile at Patricia's enthusiasm to use her plethora of animal knowledge in any situation, yet, Casey agreed. "I think so too. This feels... really nice." 

Patricia hummed pleasantly as she finished the the end of Casey's braid. "There we are." 

Patricia stood from the bed, looking down at Casey and examining the whole picture. Casey looked undeniably gorgeous with her doll like features open to view. Her eyes were so striking, how large and far apart they were. She was like an idealized painting of a woman come to life. Patricia felt her eyes linger adoringly for a little too long. She blinked quickly and turned away, chuckling softly. 

Casey tilted her head, confused and somewhat embarrassed. She had been made fun of for having far apart eyes in the past. "I... um..." 

"You look beautiful." Patricia said honestly, gaze returning to meet Casey's. 

Casey was startled by Patricia's kind words and found it hard to contain her smile. "Thank you, Patricia." 

"Well, lets have your meal shall we? You must be starving." With that, Patricia exited the room and Casey followed close behind. 

Going downstairs and taking her seat at the table, Casey found she enjoyed having her full vision and how light and unburdened her head felt with the braid in. The girl looked around the room again, now that it was dark, and noticed that the fireplace was lit. The flickering orange light made the red walls glow. Overhead, the light in the kitchen wasn't too harsh and it illuminated the cooking space well. Patricia was preparing something on the counter for a few moments, chopping something with a knife.  
The woman then expertly lifted a large plate over to the table, setting it in front of Casey.

"I hope you like it." Said Patricia, stepping back to take her seat. "Its mixed green salad with some fruit and chicken. It should be good for getting your strength back up." 

Casey admired how pretty the salad looked. The brightly colored strawberry and tangerine slices popped against the green leaves. Casey gulped, not realizing until this moment just how hungry she was. She took her fork in hand and pressed into the leaves, hearing everything crunch freshly. "Thank you very much for this. Are... you not going to eat anything?" 

Patricia grinned. "Oh no, none of us besides Hedwig have to eat very much anymore. Now go on, feed." 

Patricia's words threw Casey off a bit but the girl was too hungry to say anything more. She dug into the food, taking big bites and sighing contentedly as the sweet fruit lit up her taste buds. Casey probably hadn't eaten something this yummy or healthy since she was very young. The salads she would eat during school lunches were dry and plain. Uncle John never cooked anything for her, so Casey had to fully rely on school and Sammy for food. "This is so good." Casey exclaimed. 

Patricia scrunched her nose up in a smug smile. "I'm pleased you like it. I'll start on your tea, strawberry should complement your meal." 

Casey very quickly finished her salad and Patricia took her plate for her, replacing it with a warm cup of sweet smelling tea. Casey gratefully accepted and took a sip, washing down her food while simultaneously warming up her body. Casey quietly watched Patricia wash the dishes, wondering if the woman truly enjoyed doing these domestic tasks as much as it seemed she did. Patricia sparked Casey's interest greatly in that it was difficult to tell why she believes so strongly in the Beast. Casey couldn't decipher what drove the woman to this mindset. 

"Patricia, what kind of things do you like to do for fun?" 

Patricia ceased her movements and perked up at Casey's question, turning to the girl with an impish expression on her face. "Fun?" 

"Yeah, like, what kind of things do you enjoy doing?" Casey asked shyly. 

"Why are you curious?" 

"I just wonder. You know a lot about animals, I think that's really interesting." 

"Hmm, well, I do enjoy a few things." Patricia conceded, drying her hands and returning to her seat. "I like doing simple tasks around the house, like cooking and tidying. I like to go out shopping or thrift for clothes. I like music. I also greatly enjoy tea with Mrs Edna, and now, you." 

"I enjoy this too." Casey nodded. 

Patricia smiled slightly sadly. "Do you?" 

"Yes. You are very nice to talk with." Casey said.

Patricia grinned. "I don't hear that often. Thank you, Casey."

Casey frowned. "Do the others not think so?" 

Patricia looked away from Casey sharply, huffing in anger. "Yes. Unfortunately they ridicule both myself and Dennis. Even poor Hedwig has been bullied for his uniqueness. They are fools, and now they won't be shutting us away again." 

"I'm sorry." Said Casey quickly, realizing she struck a nerve. 

"It's nothing you need to worry about, dear. Patricia swiftly changed back to her gentle tone of voice. "They won't be tampering with our lives anymore. Those who should be in control, very much are. Now then, why don't you tell me what things you do for fun?" 

"Me? I um... I guess I'm not too sure. I like reading and drawing. I used to write a lot. I love being in the woods. Um..." Casey paused, trying to think if there was anything else. 

"You said before that you don't feel like you have any friends. Has that always been true?" 

Casey hesitated, but then nodded. "Yeah." 

"You must have felt terribly lonely at times, watching other girls your age run about in packs, squealing joyfully as they flaunt their young bodies for all to see. They have not a care in the world. I'm sure you questioned your faith sometimes, desperate not to feel alone. Nonetheless, you must understand that isolation is necessary for becoming pure. The impure who rely on each other for protection will never experience enough pain to reach their full potential." Patricia recited her mantra, her voice growing excited. 

Casey swallowed nervously. When Patricia started speaking about her beliefs, Casey felt unique mix of total understanding and severe opposition. As much as Casey agreed that her trauma had made her stronger, she would never accept that those who were ignorant of pain deserved death. 

"What about animals?" Casey attempted to distract Patricia. "I've always enjoyed the company of animals. I think... they are pure." 

Patricia scoffed. "Oh dear Casey, of course they are! All animals are inherently pure. The animals who survive the harshness of nature triumph. I did greatly enjoy living at the zoo and learning all about them, especially the big cats. There's so many intricate little details to each creature's nature, much of these details informed the conception of the Beast." 

Casey nodded slowly. "He reminds me a lot of a lion, the way he... hunts." 

Patricia smiled wickedly. "Oh yes. He feeds off full carcasses just as lions do. It's simply the best thing for animals, provided that the carcass doesn't have any respiratory issues. I was very pleased with his first sacrifices. Young Claire and Marcia fulfilled their purpose well." 

Casey went ghostly white. She looked away from Patricia, restraining herself. 

"What is it?" Patricia appeared concerned before her eyes narrowed in understanding. "Oh, I see. You still view the impure food as being innocent. I'm terribly sorry to offend your sensibilities but, I have a suspicion that you already understand the truth." 

"It's not true! They didn't deserve to die! No one does!" Casey growled, no longer hiding her fury from Patricia. 

Patricia's face went stiff and her eyes turned icy. "Dear, I'm afraid you are misguided. Don't take that tone of voice with me." 

"I cared about those girls! All these kids you've knowingly tormented, how can you think they deserve to suffer like that?" Casey shot up, slamming her fist against the table. 

Patricia rose up, becoming suddenly very tall and frightening. "Casey, sit back down at once." 

"No! I won't let you talk about Marcia like she was just a piece of meat! She was a good person!" Casey shoved her chair out of the way, letting it fall over with a loud bang. "Why can't you see that what you let happen to her, what you almost had happen to me, isn't right!?" 

Patricia stood seething, each harsh breath visible as her eyes sparked with a deadly rage. "You are nothing like those girls. Marcia did exactly as was meant for her to do. Feed the Beast. That little unworthy girl had an unfortunate hold on you, as she did Dennis. Your affections for the sacrifices will not be tolerated with me." 

Casey began crying, her fists clenching and unclenching as she looked desperately to Patricia for some sort of relief while at the same time hating the woman in front of her. "I don't care! Blow me! You'll never convince me that she deserved to be killed!" 

"I won't have to convince you." Patricia said sinisterly. "You'll be made to see in time. Now, go to your room."

Casey's eyes darted to the kitchen knife resting on the counter, but Patricia caught on and quickly beat Casey to it. The woman held the knife at a non threatening angle, her stare being sharp enough to cut Casey into a hundred pieces anyways. Casey began to back away towards the stairs, still feeling a gnawing pressure to attack Patricia. Casey's eyes once again searched around the room for something to hurt the woman with, when she noticed a cabinet door slightly ajar. Casey rushed to it, reaching in and pulling out a knife of her own. 

Patricia looked astonished. Her maddened state only growing as she pointed her knife forwards and stepped towards Casey slowly. "Drop the knife, and put your hands together in contrition. Apologize now, or you will be punished severely for this trespass." 

Casey was silent. Her rationality was being replaced with the same wildness that filled her soul before she pulled the trigger on her uncle. Casey was no longer seeing Patricia, she was looking at the image of Marcia's corpse, her cheeks stained with tears. Casey lunged, knife first, towards Patricia. 

Patricia watched Casey charge at her, raging unlike anything she thought the young girl was capable of. Casey's eyes looked like that of a bear, dark and furious. Patricia understood at this moment that Casey had already unlocked a part of the special power within her. The Beast would be very pleased. Patricia smiled distantly at the thought as she easily deflected and overpowered Casey's frenzied stabbing. Patricia was already exasperated from the girl's disobedience, and not willing to tolerate any more. The woman seized Casey's wrist, twisting it. Casey cried out, dropping the knife, before having her back slammed roughly against the table. 

Patricia pinned Casey down, holding the girl's arms above her head. Patricia's knife was edging its way closer to Casey's throat. Casey thrashed and snapped her jaws until she finally felt the cold steel press against her neck. Casey's eyes went wide as all her power suddenly left her and was replaced with raw fear. She whimpered as Patricia looked down at her. 

"Shhhh. Shhhh. That's enough now." Patricia murmured, keeping the knife firm at Casey's neck. "It's time for you to go to bed, dear." 

Patricia abruptly released Casey, still keeping her knife at the ready. Casey was paralyzed for a moment, she looked around wildly as more tears began to flood her eyes. "I-I I'm so sorry." Casey weeped.

"Go to bed, now." Patricia repeated strictly. 

Casey looked pitifully at Patrica as she struggled to stand. Patricia showed no remorse as she silently watched the girl shiver and limp away. Casey reached the stairs, not looking back, and ran up them as she cried. 

Patricia waited until she heard Casey's bedroom door slam shut before setting the knife back on the counter. Patricia let out a heavy sigh, pinching her nose as she regained her composure and began to reset the kitchen. She propped the chairs back up, slid the table back into place, and put both knives away. Patricia took Casey's cup from the table and continued washing the dishes. 

"Dennis, we'll have to put a lock on the knife cabinet." Patricia said, shaking her head. 

"W-what the hell happened?" Dennis asked, taking the light momentarily and feeling overwhelmed by the intensity in Patricia's body. 

"Our sweet Casey has rebelled against the Beast's ways, vicariously letting loose her own power. Nonetheless, we need to take more precautions with her." 

"I thought things were going well." Dennis slumped, disheartened.

"They are." Patricia insisted. "I firmly believe that soon she will see things our way." 

"You didn't hurt her did you?" Dennis asked nervously. 

"Of course not. I only punished her accordingly for her outburst." Patricia chided. 

"Patricia!" Dennis snapped. 

"Enough. She is completely unharmed. Now, I forbid you from interacting with her for the rest of the week unless absolutely necessary." Said Patricia. 

"That's not fair." Dennis protested. 

"Do you want her to behave?"

Dennis was silent.

"I thought so." Patricia smirked. "I will be taking more time in the light to help her become who she's meant to be. She won't be permitted to leave the house, let alone her room, without my supervision. Is this understood, Dennis?"

Dennis sighed. "You know what's best, Patricia." 

Dennis left, clearly upset. Patricia was alone now. The woman finished washing the dishes and then moved herself into the living room. She seated herself on the chase lounge, folding her hands over her lap and staring into the fireplace. A pain filled Patricia's chest, something she wasn't used to feeling. She realized that this ill feeling was caused by Casey. Patricia wanted nothing more than to continue talking pleasantly with her, or to brush the girl's hair again. Fighting Casey felt horrid even if It was a step towards swaying her into becoming like the Beast. Patricia was truthful when she told Casey that she wanted to be her friend. Every kind thing Casey would say to her made Patricia feel warm and fluttery. Sometimes though, one must be tough on those they care about, Patricia reasoned. Not to mention, she felt bitter that Casey seemed so very fond of Marcia. What was it about the impure girl that made her so special? No matter, that girl is gone. Patricia would have all the time in the world to learn about, nurture, and guide Casey into becoming who she was meant to be. 

\---

Casey sobbed into her pillow, her face twisted in frustration. Heart wrenching thoughts of Marcia dead and Kevin suffering smashed into her brain over and over relentlessly. Fighting Patricia had undoubtedly set back the progress Casey needed to make in reaching the others trapped inside Kevin's body. The woman was in charge now, but In this scenario, getting on Patricia's bad side was a mistake Casey couldn't avoid making. A passion to avenge the lives the Horde destroyed was just as real as her feelings of needing to save Kevin and the others. 

Casey curled up into a ball, exhausted from crying. She reached over to turn off her bedside lamp, letting the darkness of the evening consume the room. Stars twinkled outside the window and everything became eerily quiet while Casey fell silent. She wrapped herself tightly in her blankets and buried her face in her pillow. Hours passed, and the old house creaked and moaned as the chill of night creeped in. Casey struggled to shut her eyes, her thoughts still burdening her, but finally, her body could bare it no longer and she crashed into sleep. 

Casey dreamed, seeing herself as a curly haired child again. She looked down and lifted her shirt to find no scars on her belly. She must still be five, before her uncle hurt her. Casey wandered around this vague and strange dream world confused and searching for a path to take. The land was constantly shifting and changing, as it tends to do in dreams, but one area remained defined. Tall buildings stood in ruins, their crumbling walls collapsed and plant growth spilled out from within. A thick jungle had grown over what looked like a familiar city, using the manmade structures like a skeleton. Little Casey gasped as various animals scurried and flew past her, bellowing and squawking their distinct calls. Birds perched themselves on vines or in trees and proceeded to fluff their feathers. Deer, antelope, and zebra all stampeded down a path towards a river. Casey watched the animals roam in amazement as she trudged forwards through the underbrush. The girl suddenly came to a block in her own path. A massive tree had fallen in front of her. Casey cried out, pouting as she couldn't manage to pull herself up over it. She kicked the tree in protest, and defeated, began to turn around. A hand reached down and grabbed Casey's arm, pulling her up and over the fallen tree trunk. Casey shrieked in alarm, expecting to be met with the horrible face of an abuser. She instead, was met with the sweet smiling face of a little boy no older than nine. 

"Who are you?" Asked Casey, squinting her eyes as she observed the other child before her. The boy had messy brown hair, large watery blue eyes, red lips, and was lightly freckled. He reminded Casey of an elf. The boy wore a blue set of PJs with little lizards printed on them. In his arm, the boy held a stuffed tiger. Casey was starting to put the pieces together. "Hedwig?" 

The boy grinned. He let go of Casey's arm as he playfully, but roughly, shoved her and ran off, snickering to himself. 

"Hedwig wait!" Little Casey cried out, beginning to chase after him. 

Hedwig kept running, only stopping just before going out of view to make sure Casey was following him. The two children raced past elephants and crocodiles, climbing over ruined cars and sliding down hills of moss. Casey stayed resilient and eventually caught up with Hedwig, who was now sitting down in a clearing. He was still grinning as he faced Casey, who came over and sat beside him.

"Hedwig? What's going on?" Casey asked the boy. 

Hedwig shrugged, still not speaking a word. He looked past Casey and his toothy smile grew. Looking back at the puzzled girl, he pointed excitedly in that direction. Casey turned around and immediately felt her heart stop. She was face to face with a massive male lion. His black mane blowing in the wind looked like a dark fire while his golden eyes seemed to glow with rage. Casey's attention immediately went to his fully bared fangs, drool dripping down onto his chin from in between the teeth. The fearsome lion did not look outright evil, it looked like he wanted revenge. Casey cowered as the lion ran towards them. Hedwig moved over to hug Casey, shielding the little girl while also holding her still. The lion pounced, but flew right over Casey and Hedwig, clearly not interested in them. Casey, perplexed, looked up to see what is was the lion was charging. Casey shuddered when her gaze fell on a dirty looking woman wearing nothing but her underwear and a T shirt. The woman had ratty hair and one of the most malicious looking faces Casey had ever seen. The woman was holding a coat hanger.  
The lion landed just before the woman, swatting at her with one of his huge claws. The woman began screaming as the lion overtook her. Hedwig held Casey closer and the little girl realized that the boy was crying. 

Casey woke up, out of breath and dazed. She blinked rapidly and saw that outside it was still very dark. Casey figured there was more of this emotionally exhausting night to go. Casey groaned and tried to curl up again, but something was blocking her from doing so. It was almost too dark to see, so Casey reached down to feel at her stomach and sure enough, her hand met with an arm wrapped around her. Casey could then feel that the person was cuddled against her, breathing softly. Casey attempted to roll over a little to confirm that it was Hedwig, but the arm tightened around her. 

"I don't want to moooove." Hedwig lisped, "Just five more minutes." 

Casey let out a sigh of relief. "Hi Hedwig. I um, liked the Rudolph drawing you made for me." 

"Yeah I'm a pretty good artist." Boasted Hedwig proudly before letting out a yawn. "I wanted to make you sumthin' cause it's really neat that your back." 

"Are you still mad at me? From before?" Casey asked. 

"Pffft, no. Not anymore. We were gunna have the Beast eat you. Miss Patricia told me that you were just really scared, like a zebra or sumthin. You can't get mad at a zebra." Hedwig snorted. 

Casey nodded. "I'm sorry that I lied to you anyways, Hedwig. I didn't want to scare you or hurt you." 

"It's okay Casey. Just promise you won't try to trick me anymore." 

"I promise." Said Casey. 

"Cool." Hedwig said, fidgeting a little bit. "Oh and promise you won't tell Patricia or Dennis I was here. I'm not allowed to hang out with you yet, because Miss Patricia said she's punishing you. It sucks though, I have my own TV in my room now and I really wanted to show you my movies, etcetera." 

"I promise I won't tell on you. I don't want Patricia or Dennis to be mean to you ever." Casey insisted. "Your TV sounds pretty awesome. Maybe In a little while we'll be allowed to go do that." 

"Yeah!" Hedwig said excitedly. "Oh l um, I'm sorry for not knowing you were pure before, and for trying to hit you with my bat. When you told me about getting into trouble at school, I just thought that meant you were badass or sumthin. Miss Patricia got really mad at me for not telling her. I feel really stupid." 

"It's ok, Hedwig. You're not stupid at all. I'm glad you thought I was a badass." Casey laughed. 

Hedwig hummed. "Thanks, Casey. You're pretty cool. I'm glad your back, etcetera." He paused for a few moments. "Ok I need to go pee now. Bye!" 

Hedwig pushed himself out of the bed and scurried from the room, not giving Casey the chance for any further comment. The girl laughed sadly to herself. She was grateful to know that Hedwig was ok. It was a relief to speak with him again. Casey understood that in the days ahead, things would not be so pleasant or lighthearted as they are with the boy. Patricia would be waiting for Casey in the morning. Casey looked out the window and into the starry sky, imagining the frigid wilderness against her body and feeling grateful for her bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hedwig's back! :')
> 
> Patricia's affection for Casey starts to come to light and Dennis is concerned


	6. Chapter 6

In the morning, Casey was awoken by a firm knock at the door. Disoriented and unable to respond, Casey watched as Patricia entered the room, hairbrush in hand. Patricia wore another new outfit, this one being a sleek black sweater dress with black tights and of course, heels. She wore a silver necklace with a blood red jewel in its center. Casey gulped when she saw Patricia's dangerous eyes and what felt like a insincere smile. The woman radiated a threatening energy overall. 

"Sit up. I need to fix your hair." Patricia ordered, walking over to the bed and nearly yanking Casey upright. Casey yelped as Patricia slid in behind the girl and started undoing her now knotted, messy braid. 

"I'm sorry dear, does that hurt?" Patricia sneered. Casey remained silent, internally cursing. 

Patricia was being less careful in her work intentionally, smirking every time Casey would hiss in pain at her hair being pulled. Once the old braid was out, Patricia brushed the hair smooth and began forming another one. This time, the braid wrapped around Casey's head like a halo. The woman reached over to the bedside table and removed the still fresh flower from its vase. She then wove it into Casey's braid. 

"There, perfect." Said Patricia contently, pleased with her work. "Now, get dressed. I'll be waiting for you downstairs." With that, the woman stood up and marched out of the room. 

Casey's scalp ached, but her self esteem hurt worse. Casey did not feel like she could handle a full day of being degraded by Patricia. The girl knew she wouldn't have the energy to fight the woman again, but she mostly just wished things to go back to the way they were initially. Patricia's coldness in contrast to how sweet she was previously left Casey feeling incomplete. 

Casey pushed herself up and sluggishly walked over to her dresser. She stripped off her old clothes, tossing them onto the bed, and pulled open the wooden shelves to select new articles. Most of the clothes the Horde had chosen for Casey were conservative light colored dresses. Casey selected one that was pastel pink and slightly low cut and loose for today. Slipping it on, Casey looked at her outfit in the mirror and thought she looked a bit like a fairy tale princess. She sighed, feeling grim, and headed out of her room and down the stairway. 

Patricia was humming a lullaby again, this tune sounding much more unnerving and less dreamy that the one from the previous morning. The woman's voice sounded restrained and it gave Casey a feeling of disquiet. The girl cautiously descended the last few steps to find Patricia standing at the counter, preparing a meal once again. Casey wordlessly walked over and took her seat at the table, folding her hands and looking at the floor. 

"I have a very exciting event planned for you today." Patricia spoke, moving to the refrigerator to retrieve something. 

"What is it?" Asked Casey. 

"A surprise." Patricia spoke. 

Casey was silent, feeling herself grow suspicious. Patricia surely couldn't have anything pleasant on her mind. Casey felt the urge to attempt apologizing again, but resisted knowing that it would most likely be futile. 

Patricia finished preparing Casey's meal and brought it over to the girl at the table. The woman wore a smile, moving very fluidly, like a machine performing it's sole task. Casey blinked in surprise as she registered what was on the plate set before her. Three little waffles lay there decorated with slices of grapefruit and blood orange drizzled with syrup. Casey gaped up at Patricia, unsure why she was being fed something so nice after fighting with her. 

"Eat. Keeping up your strength is important." Patricia said, circling around the table and back over to the counter. 

Casey took a bite, barely able to contain her mewl of satisfaction at how good her food tasted. Patricia remained facing the counter, and Casey found herself staring at the woman's back. She liked the way Patricia's dress looked on her. Black was a befitting color, albeit more villainous looking. More startling to Casey, was her desire that that the woman would come over and talk to her again. Casey never before craved companionship so much. She used to be so content with being alone. The Horde had a unique hold on Casey's heart. 

"Today, you are to remain in your room." Patricia stated, setting down a cup of tea in exchange for Casey's now empty plate. "You will not be permitted to leave until I come fetch you." 

Casey nodded in understanding, sliding her shaking hands around the warm cup. 

After finishing her tea, Casey crept back upstairs and entered her room, leaving the door half open. Patricia had given Casey a water bottle before sending her off. The girl drank lazily from it as she slumped onto her bed and resumed reading her book. 

Casey had to admit to herself now that she was relentlessly disturbed by the thought of her shattered bond with the murderous Patricia. It made Casey's stomach hurt. The iciness in the woman's eyes was like frostbite against Casey's fragile sense of human connection. She couldn't figure out a way to mend things, and she had to didn't she? Without Patricia's favor, Casey wouldn't be able to make an inch of progress with reaching the others. Dennis may still be a viable ally, along with Hedwig of course, but against the Beast and Patricia they wouldn't stand a chance. 

\---

The day went by, Casey finishing her first book and moving on to a new one, "Black Beauty." The sun reached its peak and then fell, clouds moving in and turning the sky a dull grey. At about five, Patricia's soft spoken voice drew Casey away from her reading. 

"It's time. Come with me." 

Casey turned in her bed to face the door but Patricia was already out of view, her footsteps echoing from down the hallway as she walked. 

Casey got out of bed. She ran her hands over her dress to unwrinkle it and checked her braid in the mirror. This evening, Casey was careful to not messy up the way she looked. 

Arriving downstairs, Casey was puzzled to see Patricia standing by the door, wearing a white shawl over a mauve robe. She was barefoot, not even wearing stockings. Patricia looked uncomfortable, her posture less proud, as if she were huddling into herself slightly. The formerly frightening lioness appeared to have lost her prowess, but only for a moment. At the sight of Casey, Patricia stood taller and her eyes darkened. She looked at the girl expectantly, folding her hands over her waist and giving a small smile. 

Casey walked over to Patricia, looking downwards and positioning her hands to mirror the woman's. She slowed to a stop a few feet away and then looked up to search Patricia's eyes. "I-" 

"I've spoken with the Beast. He plans on training you himself." Patricia said. 

Casey's stomach churned and her knees went weak. "What do you mean by that, Patricia?" 

The woman grinned wide, moving over to open the door. The light from the fireplace danced off Patricia's eyes and she looked positively devilish. "Oh my dear, is it not apparent to you? You'll learn how to hunt again. How to be powerful. You'll be extraordinary. He will teach you." 

Casey squeezed her eyes shut. "Please, Patricia, please don't do this..." 

Patricia shook her head, her expression apathetic. "Dear thing, don't cry for mercy yet. There are many more tears to be shed before you reach your full potential. Please know, Casey, that I care greatly for you despite the trouble you've caused. In fact, I am grateful for that too, because it expedited this process. Soon you will see things our way." The woman smiled, "Now... follow me." 

Patricia slipped silently through the doorway, beckoning for Casey to come along. The woman led the way down the stairs. Casey could do nothing but follow, feeling defeated. Patricia reached the downstairs hallway with Casey close behind. Patricia's hand then reached out to seize Casey's, pulling the girl to her side. Patricia's firm grasp was startling, but also comforting in its own bizarre way. Casey remembered holding Patricia's hand briefly before, when she had taken Marcia and herself to the underground kitchen. Patricia's hands had a softness that the others in the Horde did not have. They were terrifyingly strong hands, and at the same time gentle enough to hold a flower without crushing it. 

Patricia and Casey snuck through Ms Edna's apartment, not making a sound. Casey could hear the old woman's muffled snoring coming from another room. The thought of calling out for help did cross Casey's mind, but what could the feeble blind woman do anyways? Casey stepped outside and Patricia let go of her hand, shutting the door behind them. It was cold outside. The sun was nearly set and already the wind had picked up greatly. Casey looked to Patricia to see if she was shivering, but the woman stood still. Her eyes shined with resilience. 

"Go on." Patricia pointed ahead towards the yard. 

Casey stepped off the porch, walking a few paces forwards before turning around. The girl shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Patricia had stepped off the porch too, she clutched her shawl tightly as the wind tried to rip it off of her. The woman hummed, pursing her lips and eyeing Casey in an impassive way. 

Casey implored Patricia with her large eyes, letting herself break and start to cry. She didn't want to face the bloodthirstiness of the Beast again. She didn't want to watch anyone else be devoured. She wanted Patricia to be her friend and to not have this monster lurking behind every conversation they shared. Casey just wanted the Horde and herself to be safe together. 

"Trust in the Beast, Casey. He protects us all." Patricia said almost dreamily, her eyes now sparkling with euphoria as she stared back at Casey. The woman let go of her shawl, the wind swooping down and blowing it away. She then let the robe slip from her shoulders, exposing her bare chest and sweatpants . Her eyes quickly snapped shut and she lurched towards Casey, letting out a loud cry of pain. Her veins were popping and bruising all along her neck and shoulders. Her muscles began to tear and bulge while her formerly tender pectorals were visibly becoming hard and taught. Her breathing was growing more and more rapid. The veins seemed to grow endlessly as they enlarged and pressed against the skin. The body changed and became dramatically larger in a matter of moments. Patricia was gone, and in her place was something else. 

The Beast opened his eyes. For a moment, Casey could see light blue irises just like Hedwig's, but the pupils rapidly dilated and the whites of the eyes became bloody. The Beast's true black eyes were now visible. He panted and huffed as he came down from the strain of the transformation. 

Casey was stunned after watching the full change in detail. The speed at which the Horde could shift into this unnatural being seemed to have increased since her last encounter. She watched the Beast come to, his gaze slowly rising up to meet Casey's. When he reached her face, the Beast smiled, appearing elated. 

The sight of his teeth was enough to send Casey bolting away. The wet sounds of Rachel being eaten echoed in Casey's brain and she wasn't going to take it anymore. Casey ran up the driveway, the only clear path in sight, and let out dry screams for help. 

The Beast bounded after the girl, letting out a growl. He caught up within seconds and crashed into her legs, knocking Casey over before crouching overtop her. She struck at him with her hands and protested vocally but stopped after a minute and switched over to moaning in despair. The Beast looked down at Casey empathetically, moving his hands to cover hers and hold them still. 

"It's okay." The Beast spoke softly. "Please don't cry... it's okay." 

"You know it's not!" Hissed Casey. "You're going to eat people now! I can't- I can't let you!" 

"No, We won't feed tonight. Only once a week is necessary. We already fed the other day, you witnessed this." The Beast corrected. 

Casey choked on her sobs in sudden relief. Not tonight, she realized. 

The Beast gently brought his face down to nuzzle Casey's. His forehead pressed against the horrified girl's cheek as he coaxed her into calmness. Again, he made a noise like a purring but deeper. "Tonight," the Beast started, "I just want to show you how to climb." He pushed himself off of Casey then extended his hand for her to take. 

"Climb? Like you do? There's no way..." Casey whispered, taking the Beast's hand and having him pull her upright. To stand face to face with this unstoppable monster, knowing he's not going to hurt her, was rapidly making Casey lose all her fear. She felt a new sense of power she hadn't felt previously. 

"I see it in you. You can. Your power must be unleashed." The Beast insisted. 

"How?" Asked Casey. 

The Beast gestured for Casey to follow him as he turned and headed off into the woods. The sky was now so dark that as soon as he went a few trees deep, Casey could no longer see him in the shadows. Clutching herself tightly for warmth, the girl darted into the trees as well. 

After about five minutes of walking, the pair came to a massive tree. It's trunk split into three smaller trunks and it's branches twisted around the neighboring foliage. This tree had no leaves and was covered in a mossy growth, making it look ancient. Casey scanned the tree for an easy path up while the Beast continued approaching it, unwavering. He began running towards the base of the tree and jumped several feet upwards. He landed in the groove before where the tree's trunk split off. He then continued up the tree, not needing to use the branches for assistance. The friction under the Beast's palms was enough to pull himself higher and higher. 

Casey watched the Beast in awe. His superhuman abilities never failed to make the girl feel a sense of true wonder. Her brutally honest view of the world had changed through the experience of knowing this being. There were now things she could not explain, but also, now there were things within her power to control. 

The Beast was already near the top of the tree, looking down as Casey. Like a leopard, he rested his body against one of the branches and let his arm dangle down. He looked like a statue of a lounging gargoyle. "You try to climb now." He said encouragingly. 

Casey nervously stepped closer to the tree. She had to try. She had to believe that she could perform this feat. Otherwise, Patricia would only be harder on her. Casey started to run, the tree in front of her looming like a giant creature. She leaped up, only getting one or two feet off the ground, and grabbed desperately at the rough bark of the tree. The contact hurt her hands and fingernails, but she got a good grip and began dragging herself up. Casey heaved and cried out as she struggled to lift her weight. She made it to the first branch, throwing her body over it before groaning in defeat. 

The Beast had already descended to her level. He cocked his head at the girl and laughed quietly. "You did well for your first try." 

Casey cracked a smile, not really believing him. "Really?" 

"Yes." The Beast assured. He reached over and wrapped his arm around Casey, lifting her up off the branch like she weighed no more than a child. Casey squeaked as she was flung over the Beasts shoulders. She clung onto him fearfully as she watched the ground become father and farther away. The Beast brought Casey up to the high part of the tree where he rested before, setting her down onto the branch beside him. From this height, the glow from the windows of their house was visible and even the faintest hint of light on the horizon could be seen. Casey could feel her heart race at the sight of the incredible sky, and also the exhilaration of being so far off the ground. She looked over at the Beast. He was staring at the sky as well. He looked happy, inhaling the scent of the forest brought along by the wind. He then looked over to meet Casey's eyes. "Can I see you're leg?" He spoke. 

It took Casey a moment to register what he was asking, but after staring blankly at the Beast, she noticed the healed gunshot wounds on his torso. Casey had inflicted those wounds, just as he had when he bit her on the calf. She understood now. Casey nodded, lifting up her dress a little to expose the somewhat healed bite mark. 

The Beast made an uncomfortable grunt, leaning in to look closer. He looked saddened by the sight of what he'd done. Casey watched cautiously as his hand reached out and gently caressed the scabbed over flesh. 

"We have each other's marks." The Beast said, bringing to light the mutually understood connection. 

"We do." Casey agreed. "...Thank you for helping me get here." 

The Beast sighed peacefully. "Thank you for being with us." He turned to watch the sky again as the last light faded into complete darkness and the stars emerged from behind the clouds. "You will be complete once you've killed. You will find your true power. You will be able to climb this tree without my help. I believe in you." 

Casey shivered, feeling her body grow colder. She had already murdered someone. She felt powerful, far beyond human in the moment she committed the act. Her uncle earned his fate for what he did, but that was the difference. Claire, Marcia, Rachel, and others did not in any way deserve the fate they got. The Beast didn't understand this truth, but Casey knew he wasn't evil. Something bad had undoubtedly happened to Kevin to cause his mind to create separate identities. Casey wondered about her dream with Hedwig. The woman with the coat hanger had caused the little boy to cry. 

"Beast?" Casey spoke. 

"Yes?" 

"I've already killed a person."

The Beast sharply turned to face Casey. He changed his posture and sat cross-legged to turn his entire body in her direction. His expression was curious and excitement was apparent in his voice. "Who did you kill? Did you feed?" 

"I killed the person that hurt me. No, I didn't feed." 

"Who? How?"

"My uncle who beat me and hurt me when I was little. I stabbed him in the eye and I shot him." 

The Beast grinned, his black eyes twinkling. "Rejoice! You've done something very special, something that Kevin will never be able to do, but to hear you've done this brings me great joy." 

"Is the person who hurt Kevin dead?" Casey asked. 

The Beast nodded yes. "Kevin's mother. She died after he turned twenty four. The woman never had the chance to suffer our wrath."

"I'm sorry." Casey said, genuinely. 

"Do not be sad for us. We have achieved so much more than Kevin ever dreamed possible. You have too." The Beast said, wrapping his arms around Casey and pulling her into a hug. 

Casey felt herself begin to weep. No fear or despair were behind these tears, however. Instead, she felt immense understanding and compassion in the warmth of the monster's embrace. 

After crying onto his shoulder for a few minutes, Casey was brought back down the tree by the Beast and from there they walked home together. Casey went back up to her room, feeling serene. The Beast stayed downstairs. He took a deep breath and slowly began his transformation back into a human. Dennis awoke dazed, but understood what had happened from his lack of shirt and the loose sweatpants on his legs. His thoughts raced to Casey, wondering if she was okay. Patricia's voice quickly cut into his brain. "Ah ah, Dennis. I'm taking care of her, not you." 

Dennis sighed and started to walk up the stairs to his room, seriously wondering if what they were doing was the right thing.


	7. Chapter 7

Three days went by. Each morning Patricia would brush and braid Casey's hair and feed the girl breakfast. The rest of the day Casey would spend reading in her room. She could hear Dennis, Patricia, and Hedwig move around the house at different times, but none would interact with her. Dennis and Patricia could even be heard conversing about Casey or simply something mundane like groceries. At sundown, the Beast would continue to train the girl. He encouraged her farther and farther up the tree each night. To her astonishment, she was making progress. Her bond with the Beast grew in strength too, despite his undeniable need for blood. As cruel as he was, he was just as compassionate with Casey. She looked forward to his presence at the end of the day, being that he was the only one she was allowed to speak with. She still could not reach him when it came to the impure young. For the Beast, it was indisputable that they were his sacred food. 

After a long training session this evening, Casey's body felt unbearably sore. The adrenaline she spent each night climbing the first quarter of that tree was usually enough to put her straight to sleep. Casey curled up in her bed, barely managing to turn her bedside lamp off before she crashed. 

A noise woke Casey up, it was the sound of a hallway door opening. She figured it must be one of the Horde and swiftly dismissed it. 

Beginning to dose off again, Casey was startled to hear loud clacking footsteps approaching her bedroom. Had Patricia discovered something wrong? Was Hedwig in trouble for the time he visited when he wasn't supposed to? Casey swore that if the woman had hurt the child In any way, another fight would be taking place. Casey sat up in her bed, gripping her covers tightly. The footsteps slowed as they came to the door and then fell quiet. The jingle of keys and the clicking sound of the lock preceded the door being gently pushed open. Casey could tell from the shadowy silhouette in the doorway that her visitor was indeed Patricia. The lady wore the same maroon turtleneck and skirt she had before. Patricia's shadow leered into the room as she whispered, "Casey, are you awake?" 

Casey did not speak because she wanted to see what Patricia would do. 

Patricia sighed. It looked as if she were about to leave, but instead she reached into the hallway to retrieve a candle. She then took out a matchbox from a pocket on her keychain. She lit a match, lowering it to the candle's wick and suddenly illuminating herself in glowing yellow light. The woman's eyes reflected the fire, looking like mini candlelights themselves. Patricia did not look angry, her expression instead was like that of grief. Casey's back pressed into her bedpost as Patricia approached. She came to a stop beside the bed, now illuminating Casey with the light as well. Casey looked up unsurely at Patricia, shivering slightly from her nerves. 

"I want to apologize." Patricia said, surprising Casey immensely. 

"Really?" Casey sputtered. 

"Yes. I don't like hurting you, at all. How I've been treating you hasn't been fair. We may disagree strongly on things but..." Patricia trailed off. 

Casey relaxed her body a little, growing more astounded and puzzled by the moment. 

"But," Patricia began again, "I've never had anyone like you in my life before. I've never felt such a need to care for you as I do, nor have I ever enjoyed being in the company someone so much. I cannot apologize for having faith in the Beast's way, but I do apologize for all the pain that it has caused you. You've suffered enough in your life, haven't you?" Patricia reached out to stroke Casey's face, setting the candle down onto the bedside table and sitting down as she did so. 

Casey took a sharp intake of breath when Patricia's fingers delicately brushed against her skin. Casey looked down at her knees, shocked by the feeling of Patricia's affection and by the lady's sudden change In attitude. 

"I'm sorry for fighting you." Casey whispered. 

"Dear sweet thing, I'm not mad about that anymore. You showed me how strong you are. There's a fire inside you burning with untapped potential. You really are quite incredible." 

Casey's eyes returned to meet Patricia's.   
"Patricia, I don't want to pry into anything you're not comfortable with sharing but, there's a lot about you and the others I don't understand. Why do you believe that sacrifices are necessary?" 

"I'm sorry Dear, but they simply are. The Beast must feed to sustain himself, and us." 

"Why can't he eat people who deserve to feel pain? Like the kind of person who hurt me or Kevin." 

"Shhh," Patricia hushed, "The impure young are the ones whom must be eaten. Their youth and energy are part of what fuels the Beast. They are important, Casey. He needs them." 

Casey let a couple tears fall as she shuddered and Patricia tenderly wiped them away. "Please don't be sad about this dear. There is just no other way." The woman consoled, running her hand through Casey's hair. 

"Are you sure?" Casey sniffled. "When I killed my uncle, I felt powerful. The Beast gave me the strength to do it."

Patricia froze, looking intensely at Casey. "The Beast told me about this, how your uncle hurt you." Her voice grew angry. "He was the one that broke you wasn't he? What did he do to you?" 

"Yes." Casey said, attempting to hold in her vulnerability. "Under the mattress is a journal I wrote in as a child. I wrote about the ways that he hurt me and how badly I wanted to hurt him back. My uncle abused me when I was little. When my father died he got custody of me. He would hurt me. That's why I cut myself, and that's why the Beast let me live." 

Patricia smiled, tears lurking from the corners of her eyes before being swiftly blinked away. She reached under the mattress and retrieved the journal. "I will read your story. You're a very brave girl. I'm so glad you're here now... safe." The woman looked away briefly and when her eyes met Casey's again they had grown dark. "The Beast said you stabbed and shot your uncle. You made him suffer yes?" 

"...Yes. He was in a lot of pain." Casey said slowly, not wanting to recall those moments too vividly in fear she'd feel remorse. "I remember I wanted to kill him after he hurt me for the first time. That was when I was five, but, I hesitated." 

"Why did you hesitate?" 

"I think because my dad was alive then, and I didn't want to kill his brother." Casey admitted. 

Patricia was growing uncharacteristically emotional. "You have a very compassionate heart. Your protective nature over Hedwig is apparent, and I know you've expressed concern for Kevin too. We are all very grateful to have you in our lives. From now on, things will be happy between us." Patricia grinned, taking Casey's hands in her own. "The Beast has told me you've been doing so well, Casey." 

Patricia's hands felt warm and comforting but Casey's heart was still racing. Patricia was glowing with an energy that wasn't threatening at all, but it still overwhelmed the young girl. Casey felt a urge to hug the woman, to break the barrier between them. Instead, Casey opted to look out the window. 

"I've made progress, yes. I can climb much farther now." Casey hesitated, "I'm concerned, however, about what the next step might be." 

"The Beast nor I will force you to feed until you're ready." Patricia assured. 

Casey looked worriedly at Patricia with her large dark eyes. "Promise?" 

"I promise." Patricia whispered, squeezing Casey's hands tighter. 

There was silence between them for a moment. 

"Patricia?" 

"Yes?" 

"Thank you." Casey smiled, "I'm really glad we are friends." 

Patricia smiled, shutting her eyes and giggling slightly. "Hmph. I'm very glad about that too. Is there... anything else you wish to talk about before I let you sleep, dear?" 

"Well, I suppose there's a lot I still want to talk about, but I want it to not be upsetting to either of us. How about we play a game?" 

"A game?" Patricia seemed amused. 

"Yes. I tell you things, you tell me things." 

"Hmm." Patricia regarded Casey curiously. "Alright, what would you like to know? The journal you've gifted me is quite a vulnerable piece of you. I'll let it count for your first play." 

Casey agreed, "Alright... I'd like to know more about Kevin. The Beast told me that it was his mother who broke him. What happened?" 

"My, this is a dangerous game your playing now dear." Patricia warned. 

"If you tell me, I'll let you see my scars." Casey said enticingly. 

Patricia looked unsure. "You will?" 

Casey grinned. "I will." 

Patricia sighed, standing up from the bed and slowly pacing around the room. "Very well. Mind you, I came into being later on in Kevin's life. I wasn't there for as long as Dennis and Hedwig. It's not my place to speak for them, so I won't. Kevin however, since he is asleep, I will tell you about." 

Casey leaned forward, eager to know the source of everything that has happened. 

"Kevin's father left on a train when Kevin was three. He never came back. He left that poor child with a monster of a woman. His mother tortured him for 18 years. Physically, sexually, and mentally. Naturally, this repetitive violent treatment caused his DID to develop at the age of three. Kevin was always very weak. When in the light, he would often struggle with the desire to kill himself... as you saw. He was made to sleep many many times for this reason. Most of the time Barry, Orwell, Jade, Samuel or Heinrich are in the light. They are very happy, productive people." Patricia sneered at this. "They also were quite happy with living a mediocre life. Dennis, Hedwig and I wanted more. They ridiculed and repressed us." Patricia moved over to the window, moonlight outlining her form. "There was an incident while working at the zoo where two young girls forced Barry to grope their breasts. This event caused enough turmoil that Hedwig was able to let Dennis and I take over the light." Patricia returned to the side of Casey's bed. "This is why I'm here now. Anyways, there is no need to worry about Kevin, Casey. He is perfectly safe." 

Casey let out a shaken sigh. "I'm very sorry, Patricia." 

"Oh dear it doesn't hurt me at all. I never experienced any of that horrid treatment. When Kevin turned 24, after his mother died, I was born from a need for something to believe in. Unquestioning faith. Sadly, the others resisted the idea of the Beast and that's why they are now being made to sleep along with Kevin." 

"I can never meet the others, then?"

"If they learn to be open minded and turn to our side, then you will meet them." Patricia insisted. "Now, you said you'd let me see your scars." 

Casey nodded quickly, eyes darting away nervously. "Yes, I'll show you them. Thank you for being open with me, Patricia." The girl said, starting to unbutton her nightgown. 

"I suppose it's nice to be able to speak with you about such things." Patricia reasoned, looking fondly at Casey. "You are my first friend, after all."

"I am? What about the others? What about the psychiatrist?" 

"Let's not talk about Dr. Fletcher. I strongly dislike that woman." Patricia said curtly. "No, none of us besides Barry have ever made any outside connections. You can imagine that would be difficult, yes?" 

"I'm sorry." Casey apologized, frantically trying the buttons of her gown. 

Patricia sighed. "It's alright. Dear, there's no need to fuss, allow me." Patricia said, guiding Casey's hands aside and unbuttoning the nightgown for the girl. 

Casey couldn't help it, her breathing began to grow raspy and her eyes stung with tears. "P-Patricia?" 

"Darling I promise everything's alright." Patricia said, stopping her movements to hold Casey's gaze. "You are safe with me." 

Patricia was sincere. The woman's eyes were so vast Casey felt like she could become lost in them. The blue of her irises picked up the candlelight and shown yellow like a cat's. Patricia was otherworldly to Casey. 

"Sorry." Casey said softly, regaining her composure. "Whenever my clothes are removed, my body responds as if I'm still being hurt. I promise I'm ready to show you." 

Patricia's red lips curled into a gentle grin. "I will care for you with all my heart dear. I will erase all those awful memories and replace them with bright new ones. Now, let me see you." 

Casey shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. Patricia undid the last buttons on the nightgown and pulled the fabric open, exposing Casey's bare torso. The girl felt suddenly chilled and embarrassed knowing that her breasts were exposed and her nipples were hard. Casey couldn't bare to look at Patricia's scrutiny. 

The rough scars decorated Casey's shoulders and stomach like violent constellations, overlapping and chasing after one another. The cigarette burns stood out as they were older with tiny fresher cuts over top, keeping the circle shapes. Certain cuts looked like unfinished games of tic-tac-toe. Others looked like the scratches from a tortured animal, begging to be released from the cage of Casey's skin. All these scars held so much weight that, upon witnessing them, Patricia let herself cry freely. "Oh Casey."

Patricia reached out, rubbing her thumb against Casey's shoulder and feeling the bumps of the raised skin. "They are so beautiful." She said, also regarding Casey's doll-like figure with a sense of appreciation. 

Casey was now staring at Patricia who seemed mesmerized by the young girl's tortured body. Casey was quietly crying again, feeling immeasurable acceptance at her formerly hidden scars being so adored. Patricia's hands moved slowly to each scar, tracing it. The touches tickled Casey's belly and she couldn't help but gasp. Patricia smirked. 

"Casey, you know that scars occur because the flesh has healed yes? The tissue only does this because it wants to repair itself. You may have felt defeated when you cut your skin, but, your body never gave in. Your strength and resilience shines through these marks. I thought that was a fun fact." 

Casey bit her lip and smiled, ceasing her crying. "I guess you're right. Thank you." 

"Thank you for letting me see you." Patricia said earnestly, folding the nightgown back together over Casey's chest and redoing the buttons.

Patricia stood and Casey leaned back into her bed smiling up at the woman with warm feelings flowing freely through her. Patricia pulled up the covers and tucked the girl in, also smiling shyly. 

"Goodnight sweet thing." Said Patricia, giving Casey's face one final caress. She began to turn away. 

"Patricia?" 

"Yes?" 

"Would you stay for a little while longer?" 

"Pardon?" Patricia turned back around on her heels and gave Casey a puzzled look. "Oh! Um... sure dear. What else would you like to talk about?" 

"We don't have to talk really... I just don't want you to go yet." 

Patricia tilted her head in confusion. "Shall I sit beside you in the chair?" 

"You can lay down if you like." Casey said, moving her body over to the other side of the bed to make room. 

The woman stood deathly still and visibly gulped. "I don't know if this is such a good idea." Patricia said with a strain in her voice. "Just as you are sensitive to touch, I am also disturbed by closeness." 

Casey raised her eyebrows. "Really? You're so... loving, though. The way you brush my hair, or just now when you felt my scars. I wasn't afraid of you. I like your company a lot." 

Patricia was blushing uncontrollably with a panicked look in her eyes and an uncomfortable grin spread across her face. "My, my." Patricia said breathlessly. 

Casey was secretly enjoying for once having broken Patricia's constant collected facade. The woman almost looked like she was about to start shaking. Her thumbs twitched violently in her folded hands. Casey did, however, feel bad for making Patricia so uncomfortable. "It's okay, you don't have to if you don't want to." Casey said simply. 

Patricia struggled for a moment to find a proper response. Her mind was overwhelmed with self consciousness and disbelief at what Casey was actually offering. The young girl enchanted and captivated Patricia unlike anything else ever had, she couldn't deny it any longer. She longed to hold Casey and be held. She wanted to feel what it was like to be loved instead of feared. What held Patricia back from her desires, was the reality of her body. Having to share it with twenty four other people meant that she could never fully become herself. Patricia felt repulsion when having to wear Dennis's clothes to go out for errands. She loathed having to shave her face every single morning. She wished her features were just slightly softer and that her muscular frame would slim. She wanted fuller breasts. She wanted to grow her hair out long and straight so she could let it drape seductively over her eyes. All these things Patricia could not do because of her devotion to the Beast. He needed Kevin's body to remain as it is. Casey now wanted Patricia to be close to her. Their bodies would nearly be touching if she chose to lay in the bed. Why would Casey want this? She couldn't be reciprocating the same feelings could she? Patricia's enamored and shocked state shifted into suspicion. She remembered that all the house's keys were dangling temptingly from the keychain she wore over her shoulder. That must be it, Patricia reasoned, feeling disappointed and hurt. 

"You're trying to trick me." Patricia accused, stepping back and clutching her keychain protectively. "Aren't you the clever one." 

"Patricia no." Casey said, devastated. She reached out her arm to the woman, desperate for this not to turn into another fight. "Please come back!" 

"You're little games won't work on me. I'm not a child." Patricia scolded. She started for the door but Casey jumped out of the bed. The girl ran in front of Patricia, blocking her way. 

"Patricia, this isn't a game." Casey sobbed. "I don't want you to go!" 

"How do you expect me to believe that when you still could just be trying to escape? For all I know, you may be scheming kill us as well." Patricia bit back. 

"It isn't like that! I never wanted to hurt you let alone kill you. Even back when you had kidnapped me and Marcia and Claire. I never thought any of you were evil or deserved to die! I shot the Beast because he was going to kill me!" Casey cried. 

"You were quite fond of that Marcia girl weren't you? Oh yes, you thought she was so pretty and kind." Patricia hissed. "Well, I'm nothing like Marcia." 

Patricia began to walk angrily past Casey but the young girl was quick enough to slam the door shut. Casey backed herself against the door, using her body as a wall. 

"You're wrong!" Casey shouted. "I care about you Patricia! You, Hedwig and the Beast are the only people in my life I've ever been honest with and let touch me. I liked Marcia, yes! That doesn't mean I expect you to be anything like her! I like you because you are yourself, because you are kind to me, and because you make me feel good! I... I... just don't want you to go away again." Casey finished, crumbling into tears. "Please don't go..." 

Patricia was stunned, her rage dying down into regret at her own actions. To see Casey so shattered before her, appearing like a butterfly that had been stomped on, made Patricia's heart sink. Her insecurities had gotten the better of her and she had ruined the beautiful moment that had just conspired between them. 

"I won't go." Patricia whispered, shoulders dropping. "I'm so sorry Casey." 

Without warning, Casey's arms wrapped around Patricia. The girl pulled the woman close and held her tightly for many moments. Patricia was paralyzed, becoming painfully conscious of her body while also drowning in the sweet feeling of Casey's warm embrace. Words could not escape her lips, but Patricia found herself slowly bringing her arms up to hug Casey in return. 

Casey hummed contently, her cheek nestled comfortably against Patricia's shoulder. Casey could smell a floral scent either in Patricia's sweater or on her skin. This moment felt special to Casey, knowing that this action could change the nature of their relationship. There would be no more suspicion or fear between them, and maybe with Casey's encouragement, Patricia would learn to extend her kindness to others. 

Casey released Patricia from the hug, trailing one hand down the woman's arm and taking hold. She led Patricia back over to the bed. 

It felt like a dream, walking with Casey's slender fingers curling around Patricia's. She watched the girl smile innocently as she climbed back into her bed. Casey lifted up the covers, set out a pillow, and looked at Patricia expectantly. Patricia was still for a few seconds, ever unsure but wanting nothing else more in the world. She carefully slipped the keychain off her shoulder and set it aside on the bedside table. Patricia eased herself into the bed with Casey. 

Patricia removed her high heels and blew out the candle, returning the room to darkness. The two then lay together facing each other. Casey adjusted the blankets to cover Patricia who flinched slightly. The woman's tense body rested somewhat awkwardly on the bed as she attempted to make herself comfortable. Patricia was like a cat attempting to lay itself elegantly on a iron fence. 

Casey and Patricia looked at each other with a shared nervousness as neither one dared speak. Casey felt herself grow less and less sure as the moments dragged on. Looking into Patricia's glistening eyes, searching for something to hold on to, made the girl reconsider her impulsive choice to have the woman sleep beside her. Casey, however, was also determined to make things work. She could see Patricia was struggling to keep her breathing slow and her body restrained. Casey extended one of her arms and stopped it in the middle of the space between them. Her fingers curled, and she smiled, inviting Patricia's hand over to join hers. 

Patricia pursed her lips and dropped her gaze to look at Casey's hand before returning to the girl's face. Wordlessly, Patricia slipped her hand into Casey's grasp, entwining their fingers together. 

Casey shut her eyes in a mixture of relief and joy. Patricia's reassuring touch released the stiffness from Casey's body and the girl relaxed deep into the fabric around her. She let out a happy hum. 

"Casey... would you like me to sing you a lullaby?" asked Patricia suddenly. 

Casey's eyes opened. Her surprise at Patricia's words quickly turned into a quiet eagerness. "I would like that very much." 

Patricia grinned. "Alright." 

Casey shut her eyes again and once she did, a melodic voice cut through the night and the quiet like a glowing golden spear.

"I know you've suffered, but I don't want you to hide. It's cold and loveless, I won't let you be denied." 

Casey's ears rejoiced at the sound of the woman's gentle singing. The words carried the girl close to the cusp of sleep with their affirming message. 

"Soothing, i'll make you feel pure. Trust me, you can be sure. I want to reconcile the violence in your heart. I want to recognize your beauty is not just a mask. I want to exorcise the demons from your past." 

As Patricia sang, holding Casey's hand tight, the young girl fell into a peaceful sleep. 

"I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart." Patricia finished the song no louder than a whisper. Finally, she let herself relax as she lay there beside Casey, hiding her deepest feelings in the darkness of the night. 

 

Casey woke up the next morning to find Patricia gone, the bed neatly made up where she lay the night before. Fresh flowers, pink ones, were set on the bedside table. Casey wasted no time rolling herself out of bed. Concerned, believing she may have gone too far last night, Casey rushed over to the dresser to change into a daytime dress. She stopped when she saw herself in the mirror. Her hair was already brushed and braided. She let out a happy laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the fluff! ;) This was probably my favorite chapter to write. Lots of sad past abuse and cute gay feelings!


	8. Chapter 8

The morning was spent wonderfully. Patricia had felt inspired and learned how to make scrumptious crepes from a recipe book Mrs Edna had let her borrow. Patricia was cooking away, seeming overjoyed when Casey arrived downstairs and took her seat at the table. Patricia did not hesitate chattering about the fun facts of food preparation much to the young girl's amusement. Casey marveled at Patricia's giddiness while the woman worked, feeling herself give in to the happy mood and exchanging much cheerful banter. Patricia was giggly and bright unlike anything Casey had seen before from her. Last night's decisions ended up paying off. 

The crepes were delicious, and drenched in sweet fruit preserves. Patricia got much of the syrupy treat on her fingers and shyly, she licked it off herself. 

"Why don't you have some? These are amazing!" Casey exclaimed as she chewed. 

Patricia chuckled, sucking the last bit of jam off her thumb. "No no dear, you know I can't. ...This is awfully yummy though." 

After tea, Patricia gifted Casey a new book from the plethora apparently sitting up in the attic. Casey read the title: Call of the Wild. It was written by the same author as White Fang. Patricia gave Casey an approving look while the girl flicked through the pages. 

"Thank you for this." Said Casey. 

"I figured you liked the ones about animals, but do let me know if there's anything else that sparks your interest." 

"I will." Casey smiled sweetly, swaying side to side with the book behind her back. "Would you like to go for a walk later maybe? After the Beast's training hour?" 

"My dear child, that sounds like a rather dangerous idea! The trails are much safer in the day. I don't want to loose you in the dark after all."

"Fair, fair. I just want to hang out for a while." 

"Oh we most certainly will. I'll think of a fun thing for us to do, don't you fret." Patricia grinned, giving Casey a wink as she turned towards the stairs. 

Casey watched Patricia ascend, expertly strutting up the steps in her high heels. Casey looked down at her book, then back up to the now empty stairwell. Dennis had work to do today, hence Patricia strongly implying she wanted Casey to read. The girl felt an inkling of adventure, however. She wanted to explore the woods, and maybe the Beast would let her under his supervision. She wanted Patricia's company though too. Being cooped up in a house for days wasn't unfamiliar to Casey, but now that she was free, a desire to roam was crackling like embers within her. 

Dennis arrived downstairs after a few minutes. He was dressed in his usual wear, perfectly unwrinkled clothes and a shirt buttoned up to his throat. His furrowed brow and brief eye contact let Casey know something was preoccupying the man's mind. He marched past the girl with a simple "Good Morning." Before leaving out the the living room door. Casey heard it lock shut behind him. 

Understanding she would be trapped inside for the day, Casey sighed and sat back down at the kitchen table. She played with the tail of her braid as she read her book. 

\---

Taking off his grime-covered leather gloves, Dennis looked down at his work with a sense of accomplishment. He had fixed the furnace. The great hissing monstrosity that lived in the basement rattled and shook no more. With the house now running smoothly, Dennis took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket and scanned over it intently. This was his list of things that needed to get done for the day. Number one could be crossed off, as it was fixing the furnace. 

Number two was shopping, which Dennis dreaded, and number three was to help Mrs Edna cook. Patricia had made crepes earlier so perhaps there was leftover batter he could use. Dennis could offer the sweet old woman that. Anything would be fine as long as it kept the socially anxious man far from the local general store. 

Patricia had been acting strange all morning, singing and humming to herself. She briefly expressed she was quite happy with Casey but refused to tell Dennis anything more than that. The Beast had only been training Casey for four or five days, there was no way the girl could have made a huge leap of progress just yet. Dennis couldn't complain, however. Ever since Patricia and Casey fought, the woman had been extra confrontational and short tempered. Patricia now was acting the opposite way, albeit still being her secretive self. 

Letting out a heavy sigh, Dennis made his way up the basement steps and entered Mrs Edna's apartment. 

"Hey, furnace is all fixed." He called out. 

"Oh goodness! Thank you Dennis!" The old woman cooed from her couch, spilling a little of her tea as she jerked around. Kitty jumped from her lap and onto the coffee table, purring as he eyed the approaching man. 

"No worries." Dennis stared contemptibly at the tea stain forming on Mrs Edna's shirt. "It's good to have a warm house. Oh, um would you be in the mood for crepes, potentially?" 

"Oh? Yes that would be lovely!" 

Dennis was relieved he could put off shopping until tomorrow. "Alright, I'll see if I can make you some."

Dennis arrived back upstairs to see Casey looking at him curiously from the kitchen table. Dennis quickly strode past the girl and over to the counter.

"Hey. How are you today, Dennis?" Casey asked. 

"I'm alright. How are you?" 

"Good. A little bored." 

"Hmm. You have training later right?" 

"Mmm hmm."

"Is there anything we can get you that you'd find engaging? Aside from a phone or computer." Dennis inquired as he retrieved the crepe batter. 

Casey thought for a moment. "I like making things, like drawing or crafting."

"As long as you aren't messy, that'd be fine." 

Casey laughed. "I'll be careful, I promise."

Dennis gave a half smile. "Okay." He stood up from the table. "Alright, I gotta go try to make some crepes for Mrs Edna." 

"Oh! Do you want help with that?" 

"Help?" 

"Yeah!" 

"Uh... alright, sure. I'd appreciate that. You feel confident enough to make them?" 

Casey was pleasantly surprised that Dennis wanted her to assist him. "Yeah. After watching Patricia it seems pretty straight forward." 

"Alright, lets go." Dennis said, waving his arm for Casey to follow. The girl gladly did, and the two headed downstairs. 

In Mrs Edna's kitchen, Casey attempted to keep a straight face with Dennis pacing anxiously around her. Casey placed a pan on the burner to heat up the oil, holding the carton of batter in her other hand. She slowly poured it in into the pan.  
Dennis stood deathly still, clutching at the yellow rag in his pocket, expecting for something to spill over onto Mrs Edna's freshly cleaned counter. Nothing spilled, and Casey and Dennis let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. This made them both laugh slightly. Dennis began to shyly back out of the room. 

"So, hey Dennis," Casey started as she waited for the first crepe to cook. "What things do you like to do for fun?" 

Dennis was puzzled at Casey's question. He crossed his arms and tightened his posture, adjusting his glasses. He still lingered at the door, ready to use it as if he needed to run away. "Fun?" 

"Yes. It seems like you work really hard all day to keep things in order, so what do you like to do when your not working?" 

Dennis had to think about the question for a long moment. He genuinely didn't know how to answer. "All I really do is work." Dennis concluded. He stepped back into the kitchen a little bit more to peek over Casey's shoulder. "The crepe looks good." 

"Thank you! I think it's working out well." 

"Yeah, I think so too." Dennis said, looking at Casey fondly.

\---

Mrs Enda loved the crepes. The old lady praised Casey's cooking ability to no end. Casey felt very humbled. She didn't think her crepes turned out as good as Patricia's, but Dennis and Mrs Edna greatly valued her effort. 

Casey was sent back upstairs While Dennis sat with Mrs Edna, pretending to eat the crepes she insisted he have. He liked seeing the blind woman so content with her quiet life. She savored every bite of food and laughed at the smallest of things. Her clouded eyes somehow still twinkled when she spoke. Mrs Edna in a way reminded Dennis of Doctor Fletcher, how both women managed to shine despite the hardships in their lives. Dennis had privately expressed his grief many times over losing his psychiatrist, and hoped that somehow she could forgive him for letting the Beast win. Mrs Edna felt like a second chance to protect and care for a generous friend. 

Mrs Edna fell asleep on the couch after her brunch. Dennis tucked her in and took care of the dishes. Realizing he now had nothing planned for three hours, the man struggled to find something meaningful to do. He could let Hedwig out to play earlier than scheduled, but knowing the boy's knack for mischief Dennis decided against that. Casey had expressed she was interested in making things, but Dennis knew that the general store was essentially just for food, hardware and deer tagging. In the attic, perhaps Dennis could find some art supplies. 

Awkwardly passing by Casey once again, Dennis marched up to the third floor. Nearby his room, there was another door. Unlocking it, he entered a small space where the pull-down attic ladder was hidden. He tugged on a chain hanging from the ceiling and a dim light zapped to life. Climbing the ladder, Dennis groaned as his un-gloved hands made contact with some freshly collected dust. This was one part about living in an old house that the man was not fond of. 

Dennis turned on a flashlight upon entering the attic. Even during the day the one small window just allowed a tad of sunlight to get into the musky space. Dennis placed on a fresh medical mask to avoid inhaling any old dust fluttering about the room. 

Rather quickly, the flashlight's beam illuminated a box with the word "Art" scribbled on the side. Dennis figured it may be another box of paintings, but upon inspection, Dennis found art supplies and rolls of yellowed paper tucked away inside. 

"Excellent." Dennis muttered to himself. He reasoned Casey could use half and then Hedwig could resume his habit of drawing animals too. The boy had been extremely upset about losing all of the things in his old room under the zoo, especially his pet mice. 

Dennis lifted up the box of supplies, then stopped. Underneath the box was a lumpy hairy mess. He cringed, believing it to be a dead rat, but upon a closer look the man realized it was dark brown women's wig. 

Dennis cautiously picked it up. The wig unwound and long locks spilled downwards in a whimsical manner. Thankfully, the wig was spared from dust as it was covered by the box. Despite being unkempt and half crushed, it still looked very pretty and nothing like a costume piece. Dennis wished the blonde wig he was made to wear going on errands was half this nice. He thought for a moment if Patricia might like to have this new wig. The color did match what would be her natural hair. The woman may be potentially offended by the offer, but he decided he would fix up the wig nonetheless. It would be good to express to her that he cares. 

Back downstairs, Dennis gifted half of the art supplies to Casey. He set them out on the table for her and felt a wave of relief and fuzziness when the girl graciously accepted the materials. 

"Really, Dennis, thank you so much!" Casey exclaimed, eyes lighting up as she examined her painting tools. 

"It's no problem. I knew there had to be something in that great big attic you'd enjoy." 

"I like how everything is somewhat old too. It smells less like fresh chemicals, you know?" 

Dennis chuckled a little. "I dunno, I usually like fresh chemicals. Let's me know something's clean." He paused, "So um, what kind of things do you like to draw?" 

"I never really had a lot of opportunities to make art, but at school, during detention, I'd doodle creatures like dragons or birds."

"I'd love to see what you end up making." Dennis smiled, arms crossed and turning his body away from Casey. 

"Awesome. I'll definitely show you. Maybe Hedwig would even like to join me?" 

"Yeah, I think that would be good." Dennis agreed, feeling more relaxed now that his day was almost over. "I'll uh, let you two do that now then." 

With that, Dennis went upstairs, leaving Casey to once again ponder about the man. After about five or so minutes a loud happy yell rattled the house. 

"Yo!" A child's voice yelled from upstairs. "Cool! I got new colored pencils and shit!" 

Casey laughed wholeheartedly. "Hedwig come downstairs and color with me!" She called out. 

Fast paced thumping from upstairs was followed by Hedwig flying around the corner with excitement spread all across his face, like a child on Christmas morning. The boy was wearing a giraffe onesie, the hood with the little giraffe face and ears was pulled over his shaved head. 

"Casey!" The boy shouted as he suddenly hopped onto the railing and slid down, making the whole thing creak. He flew off and landed on his feet, running over to the table. 

"Casey!" Hedwig squealed once again as he wrapped Casey in a half-wrestle, half-hug. 

Casey laughed, shoving Hedwig playfully back so she could look at him. This was the first time she had actually seen the child since arriving at this house. She felt a little bit like crying. 

Hedwig grabbed Casey's hand and yanked the girl out of her chair. "Come upstairs and draw with me in my room!" 

"Ha ha alright." Casey sighed, running up the stairs with the little boy dragging her. 

Hedwig's room was small, there was one window in the center with a string of paper animal cutouts along the border. The soft yellow wallpaper was bright and cheerful and the blue ocean themed rug contrasted nicely on the floor. To Casey's surprise, there was a real TV in corner across from Hedwig's bed with a bean bag chair in front of it. 

"You really get to watch tv?" Casey asked, taken aback. 

"Yep!" Hedwig boasted. "I have some good movies on VHS I'm allowed to watch. I really like this cartoon about talking cars that transform into robots and they fight each other." 

"Transformers?" 

"Yeah that! I like that one and then Dennis says when I'm older I can watch this one called "Aliens." 

"Very cool Hedwig." Casey grinned. 

"Yeah I know." Hedwig turned his attention to the box of art supplies on the floor. He kneeled down and carelessly dumped the contents out. "There! Now we can draw some pictures!" 

The girl and the little boy proceeded to pick out their pencils and start drawing. Hedwig drew a tiger first, and Casey drew a deer. Hedwig went to his bedside table and picked out some crayons he had managed to find when he first arrived at the new house. He brought them over and insisted Casey use the green one to color in the grass. Casey did just so and the picture turned out quite nice. 

"You're like really good at drawing stuff." Hedwig said, admiring Casey's' deer. 

"Well good, because that's for you." Said Casey, handing him the drawing. 

"Cool! I'll hang it on my wall too!" The boy lisped happily. 

Casey watched Hedwig tape both drawings up by his bed, seeming perfectly happy. She wished that Hedwig could be in his own body, that way he could grow up and learn and not have to be tied in to all the death the Beast had caused. Hedwig deserved a better life. 

"Hedwig?"

"Yeah?" 

"How do you feel about the Beast?"

"Oh uh, I like him! No one makes fun of me anymore. Patricia was right." 

"That's good." 

"Yeah." Hedwig jumped off of his bed and rolled onto his back on the bean bag chair. "How do YOU feel about the Beast?" 

"I like him. I just wish he didn't eat people." 

"Yeah." Hedwig said distractedly. "I guess it's not a nice thing to do." 

Hedwig and Casey went on to watch a little transformers after the boy got tired of drawing. He rested his head in her arms and leaned back into the girl, totally oblivious of his weight. Casey didn't mind, she held him like that until Hedwig actually fell asleep. The body they all share together must get tired, Casey figured. She patted his head before getting up to shut off the TV. The child curled up in his bean bag chair and he grumbled incoherently. Casey giggled at the adorable scene before her. She really was starting to feel like Hedwig's babysitter. 

Shutting the door to Hedwig's room, Casey found herself feeling even better than she had this morning. Her relationships with all of the Horde were growing into something really positive. 

\---

That evening, during the Beast's hour, Casey strained to climb farther than she had the night before. She was past the second branch, her foot pushing off of it to bring herself higher. Scratching up her hands on the bark, Casey dragged herself over the third major branch. She stopped a moment to catch her breath and calm the sting in her hands. She noticed a few splinters digging into her. She winced, but quickly shifted back into a state of determination. Staring up at the fourth branch, Casey brought her legs up over the third branch. She jumped up, forgetting fear for a moment, and grasped at the air missing the fourth branch. Casey felt herself fall backwards but the Beast swiftly caught her and balanced the girl with his arm. 

"Thanks!" Casey gasped, securing herself back onto the tree. 

"You're close. Keep going!" The Beast cheered, climbing back up out of Casey's way. 

Once again, Casey eyed the fourth branch. Last night she had only made it there because there was a nook in just the right spot for her foot. She couldn't locate it now. She was too anxious to do better this night, to go farther. Casey took a deep breath. Slowly, she raised her arms and sunk her fingers as deep as they would go into the dry cracks of the bark. Casey positioned her feet, then the girl jumped again. This time, her hand met with the tree and propelled the rest of her body further upwards, her free hand finally gripping the fourth branch. Casey let out a cry as she dangled there, all her weight being held by one arm. The splinters were pushed deeper into her hand, but she refused to give in now. Casey stubbornly brought her legs up to wrap around the branch and twisted herself around so that she was overtop it. Now she was spent, dangling there in her dirtied dress, her palms aching as if they were burned. 

The Beast climbed down to Casey and slung her over his shoulder, bringing the girl up the rest of the way as he always did. He set Casey down, and she flopped like an exhausted rag doll. 

"You did very well." The Beast assured. 

Casey's tired eyes met his and she gave a small smile. "I did?" 

"Yes, I even saw for a moment, you climbed like I do."

"Really?" 

The Beast nodded. His gaze then shifted and he frowned. "Your hands are bleeding." 

Casey let him see them, she didn't want to look at their damage for herself. "They hurt." 

The Beast took Casey's hands. He noticed several splinters painfully deep in her skin. Without wasting a moment, the Beast brought his mouth down over Casey's palm and bit at the splinters with his teeth. 

Casey squirmed, feeling the Beasts wet mouth wash away the blood and push back the skin to reach the splinters. The process hurt, but she felt immediate relief when he'd pull a bloodied shard of wood out of her body. 

This went on for several minutes until all the splinters were removed. Casey's hands felt numb but very warm. The Beast went on to briefly lick her wounds before deeming them clean and letting Casey reclaim her hands. 

Casey whispered a thank you and the Beast purred, letting his eyes venture away to look over the woods. 

It was quiet for a short while until Casey spoke up. "You have to eat soon, don't you?" 

The Beast looked at Casey sadly. "Yes, I must." 

Casey nodded and looked away. She was starting to accept that there was nothing she could do to stop the Beast from feeding. It would have to take the combined effort of the Horde to make any difference. Still, Casey couldn't bare the thought of failing to protect another life. She would not be passive. 

A strange sound echoed from very far away in the woods. Both Casey and the Beast looked at each other confused. The Beast quickly rose up to listen more intently. 

"A deer's cry?" Casey suggested, hopeful. She didn't want to believe that the noise was something else. 

"No." The Beast shook his head, staring off.

The sound happened again. Both the girl and the Beast could tell it was human this time. 

Casey gulped, feeling panic hit her immediately. "A lost hiker?" 

"Maybe." 

"Beast..." 

"Hello? Is anyone out there? Somebody please help!" A voice now called out clearly. Although still very far away, the person sounded feminine and young. 

"No!" Casey gasped. 

"Sounds like... sacred food." The Beast growled.


	9. Chapter 9

Without hesitation, Casey began to scramble down the tree. The Beast, of course, was faster. He climbed down headfirst, defying the limits of what any human should be able to do. Casey screamed for him to stop, but the Beast would not halt. He was driven, motivated by hunger and a need to protect his secret home. He jumped from the branches, colliding with the earth, then raced away out of sight. 

Casey was left alone, struggling down the midsection of the tree. She had to be careful not to slip and fall, so her movements were agonizingly slow. Casey already could hear screaming in the distance. She feared that she was too late. 

Finally reaching the base of the tree, Casey took off. Her body protested as she had just spent herself climbing up the tree, but she had to press on. She needed to at least try to save this person. Casey couldn't live with herself if she didn't. 

The woods were pitch black at this early hour of night. The clusters of trees stood like haunting specters, guiding Casey into many different areas farther and farther away from familiar territory. There was no clear way for her to decipher which direction the Beast had gone, as all the noise had now stopped. The silent trees surrounded Casey like the bars of a cage as she struggled to keep herself moving ahead. 

"Beast!" She called out desperately, "Beast!" 

There was no response. Either he was ignoring her, feasting away on the carcass of some poor girl, or Casey had gotten herself very lost. 

Thumping footfalls heading towards her startled Casey. She spun around to see a human figure running at her from the shadows. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw that it was not the Beast. 

A tall redhead girl, no older that Casey, came barreling out of the thicket. The girl's hair was cut in a bob and her bangs were trimmed sharply just above her eyebrows. Her oval shaped face was freckled and her green eyes bulged with terror. 

"Help me!" The redhead screamed, flailing her arms as she nearly crashed into Casey. "Please, oh God, help!" 

Casey grabbed the girl by her wrists, taking command, "Shhh! We have to sneak away quietly! He's faster than us." 

The redhead franticly nodded her head, holding in her sobs the best she could before the two girls quickly scrambled behind a patch of thick brush. The fall leaves crunched under their feet, and as soon as they stopped moving, the sounds of the Beast approaching came into earshot. Casey covered the redhead's mouth with her hand to ensure no gasps escaped. As she did this, Casey noticed the girl's attire. She had a hiking backpack, and wore a blue windbreaker with the name of a school printed on it. 

The Beast ran into the space the girl's had just previously occupied, panting and growling low. He stopped moving, seeming to smell the air. Turning to face in the direction where the girl's were hiding, he grinned sinisterly. 

"You know I must feed on this one, Casey. The lamb has strayed too far from its herd, and found itself in the wolf's den. Little lamb will tell the other sheep where the wolves hide if we let it live." 

The redhead groaned into Casey's hand, clearly in the throws of despair. Casey reached her free hand around to hold the frightened girl protectively. Casey was furious at the Beast for tormenting her like this, and furious at herself knowing that her plans of sneaking the girl away were not going to work. 

The Beast stepped closer to their hiding place. "A lost hiker. Who knows how long she's been traveling in the cold? Let her rest." 

Casey leaned in to whisper into the redhead's ear. "How fast can you run?" 

"I'm the fastest runner on my track team." She weeped. 

"Okay, I'm going to charge him. You need to run towards that big tree way over there." Casey directed, pointing. "There's a house just beyond it. Bang on the door and a old woman will let you in." 

The Beast was just in front of the bushes now. He could surely hear them. Casey had no more time to waste. She burst out from the leaves and charged the Beast, attempting to tackle him. The redhead girl fled the scene quite quickly, heading off in the wrong direction. Casey hadn't even been able to knock the Beast over, she only caught him off guard. He staggered back and her arms wrapped around his neck to try and drag him down. His body felt like thousands of steel wires pulled tautly together. Casey could hardly hang on. The Beast let out a grunt of frustration before he shook Casey off of himself with little effort and proceeded to chase after the redhead, leaving Casey in the dust. 

Casey lay there, exhausted, crushing the leaves underneath her as she clenched her fists. "Damn it. Damn it." She cried, beating the ground in anger. 

Within moments, Casey heard chilling screams emanate from deeper in the woods where the redhead ran off. Her heart sank. The screaming only lasted a few moments. The Beast must have killed the girl quickly. 

Casey picked herself up and walked on, using her last scraps of energy. She followed the sounds of commotion through the woods until she finally came upon the scene she dreaded seeing. 

The Beast was hunched over the redhead, his face buried in her flesh. Her green eyes stared into the sky calmly, lifelessly as her body was thrashed about and mauled. The familiar sounds of frenzied feasting and snapping bones hit Casey's ears. She stood there, watching, unable to look away from the graphic result of her failing to defend someone. Casey was disturbed by her inability to cry at this moment. She wanted to cry for the girl. Tears simply were not coming. 

Quietly stepping closer, Casey stared blankly ahead. The Beast acknowledged her briefly as he engorged himself. There was nothing the girl could do at this point to interfere with his meal. He took one last big gulp of meat before letting out a satisfied snarl, gore seeping from his lips.

"Now the lamb sleeps." He sneered. 

Casey ignored him. She continued to approach until she kneeled just before the redhead's corpse. She looked down at the girl's pale face, feeling a coldness in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes traveled to the backpack the girl was wearing and the Beast eyed Casey suspiciously. 

"Can I see what's in her backpack?" Casey asked very quietly. "It's not fair to kill her knowing nothing about her." 

"She was impure. I could tell. Her nice clothes, the way she smelled."

"I'm sure she was. I just want to know her." 

"You'll get attached, and hate me for taking her." 

"No." Casey looked directly into the Beast's black eyes. "I won't." 

The Beast tilted his head to the side, curiously. He stood up, circling around Casey. "Very well. Look quickly. I must take her body to a bog to wash away my touch. Dogs can smell it. Dogs will find her." 

Casey understood. A search party will likely look for the redhead girl, leading them very close to Mrs Edna's home. They'll find the lost girl's body in the bog, and presume that she died of exposure and was scavenged on by coyotes. Surely though, they'll knock on Mrs Edna's door just for being so nearby. Casey couldn't care about that at this moment. She needed to learn who this girl was and not let her memory fade away into nothing. 

Pulling out the backpack from underneath the dead girl, Casey began searching through the various pockets until she found what she was looking for. The girl's cellphone was rose gold and luckily did not require a passcode to unlock. Casey quickly skimmed through the girl's social media. Unsent texts, cries for help, "I'm lost guys, where are you?" All never reaching the people they were supposed to. No cellphone service in the deep woods. Casey looked through recent texts. The girl had a father, he wrote: "Sarah I haven't heard from you all day. Are you okay? Please get back to me. I love you, kiddo." Sarah was the girl's name. 

Casey returned the phone to its pocket, feeling something painful build up in her chest and travel to her throat. Tears, finally, began to trickle down her cheeks. 

The Beast scooped up Sarah's body and backpack, careful to hold her so that any remaining guts wouldn't spill out. He then regarded Casey, narrowing his eyes. 

"Please do not be sad. The impure fulfill their purpose only once consumed. This girl is at peace now." 

Casey looked away. 

"I won't be long." The Beast sighed, "Wait here for me. I'll bring you back home." With that, he went off into the night. His footsteps quickly faded into silence. 

Casey huddled into herself, doubled over with her features crushed together in anguish. Sarah was a girl with a future. She had a father who loved her and dozens of friends who will miss her and cry and scream and suffer real pain because of this loss. The Beast needed to feed on the impure young, but how could he judge so harshly? Marcia, Claire, Rachel, and now Sarah were gone, not even remotely deserving what a horrible end they met. The Beast brings misery to everyone he crosses, and Casey could do nothing to stop it. 

Drops of water landed onto Casey's nose. The girl blinked, confused, until all around her fallen leaves lit up with the sound of tapping. Soon, rain fell rapidly, drenching Casey's dress and soaking her hair. The October rain was frigid and she realized that the exposure was beginning to physically hurt. Casey stood, backing herself up against a tree and holding herself tightly. She now needed the Beast to save her. She needed his protection, his warmth. Casey began to violently cry out, unable to to deal with her inner conflict and as a reaction to the icy cold. 

Warm arms wrapped around Casey and squeezed her tightly. The Beast let his heat bleed into her as the girl faintly struggled against him. Casey choked on her tears, letting her head fall against his chest as she let her emotions out in this visceral way. 

"I'm sorry that it hurts you." The Beast spoke softly. "I'm sorry that it hurts you when I feed." 

"I- I just wish you could care about them like I do. The impure, those who haven't suffered like we have, they are worthy of life." 

The Beast was silent as he lifted up Casey to carry her. The girl had no energy left to resist. He sighed, looking at her fragile form with immense sympathy. He wanted her to transform like he could, to shed away morality in exchange for fulfillment. There was no way to speed up this process for her. Change takes time, but he believed in Casey. Her heart was pure. He held her close as they trekked back home in the rain. 

\---

The buck lay halfway in the stream, looking up at Casey with calm, lifeless eyes. Blood trickled from his nose and merged into the rushing water beside him.

"The thrill, Casey, is whether you can or cannot outsmart this animal." Casey's dad said proudly, putting his hand on the little girl's shoulder. 

Her father's touch was comforting. It reassured young Casey that despite the sadness she felt looking at the dead buck, killing him was not a bad or evil thing. He would not go to waste, his meat would feed their family. Casey felt happy that her dad was so happy. 

"You used to not like coming out here." Her father teased, cupping Casey's cheek and bringing her to his side. The little girl smiled. Her dad was someone she loved more than anyone else. It felt good to be close to him again, even if this was only a memory. 

Casey expected her uncle to enter the dream now. "Good job big brother." He'd say before cracking open a beer. Uncle John was absent, however. He was nowhere to be seen. Casey and her dad stood alone in the woods. 

Casey looked up to her father, confused. The curly haired man with his friendly features glowed in the golden light of the sun. 

"Dad?" Casey spoke in disbelief. She never had control over the memories in her dreams before. They always played out as they happened in real life. 

Casey began to cry as her father turned his head to look down at her. He was smiling, his eyes full of light. 

"I love you, Casey. I'm so proud of you." 

"I love you so much, dad." The little girl sobbed. 

\---

Casey's eyes fluttered open. Her foggy gaze met with one of the pretty tin ceilings of Mrs Edna's old house. The swirling design reminded her of the young ferns that grow during early spring. The sound of water sloshing gently greeted Casey's ears and the girl looked down to find herself laying naked in a bathtub. 

Casey startled and sat up, gripping the sides of the tub. She looked around to find no one in the bathroom with her. Letting out a sigh of relief, she eased back into the water. Several candles of various colors were placed on the sink and around the tub, providing a very soft glow. The bath water was perfectly warm and Casey realized that the Horde had placed her in here in order to heat up her body after getting so cold from the rain. 

Casey looked down at herself through the water. Her scars shown an even deeper flesh color in the liquid's clearness. Casey reached a hand down to tentatively touch the largest scar on her belly. It ran across her left side and stopped just at her belly button. That was the first time she had ever cut herself. It had been sloppy, done the day after her father died. 

The dream Casey had just experienced was still fresh in her mind. It reminded her of the dream she had before with Hedwig, how she was able to have control instead of being made to re live a painful memory. She hoped that any future dreams she'd have would take to this new format. Being able to see her father again in such a way was an indescribable joy. 

"Knock, knock." Patricia called from the hallway. "May I please come in, dear?" 

Casey moved to cover herself. "Yes, come in." 

Patricia entered the bathroom, letting the light from the hallway in for a few moments before closing the door behind her. Casey was instantly struck by a change in Patricia's wardrobe. The woman wore the same black dress and red pendant from before, but on her head, was a full mane of long dark hair. The locks framed her face beautifully. 

"Patricia..." Casey could barely speak. Her eyes absorbed the full picture of the woman and she found herself feeling alert.

The woman approached Casey, a massive grin on her face. Her plump lips looked redder than normal and her eyes positively lit up with excitement. "What do you think? Dennis gave me this wig as a little present. I've never been able to have hair like this before." Patricia frowned. "You don't think it looks silly do you?" 

"You look really lovely." Casey said genuinely, feeling goosebumps rise on her body. 

Patricia blushed, looking away and covering her smile as it grew. She let out a laugh in relief before kneeling down beside the bathtub and locking her eyes onto Casey's. "Im glad you think so. I wouldn't have been offended if you didn't like it, though. It is just a wig after all." 

"Real hair or not, it seems to make you shine." Casey whispered sweetly. "I like seeing you so happy." 

Patricia could hardly contain her glee. She chuckled softly before reaching out a hand to stroke Casey's face. "How do you like your bath? Warmed up are we?" 

"Yes, it feels good to no longer be freezing. How long have I been asleep for?" 

"Only about an hour, dear. The Beast brought you inside but you still felt dreadfully chilled. I ran the hot bath for you right away and cleaned you up. Don't worry, I only left just now to dress up a little. I made sure to stay with you so you wouldn't drown. You are... very peaceful when you sleep." 

"Thank you, Patricia." Casey smiled, leaning into the woman's hand. 

Patricia let out a deep sigh. "I read your diary." 

"Did you?" 

"Yes." Patricia paused. "I wish you're uncle were still alive so that I could kill him myself." 

Casey smiled meekly. "He was made to face what he did, don't worry." 

Patricia looked grimly at Casey. "You were made pure through experiencing these horrible things but... I truly wish it never had to happen to you." 

"I used to wish I had a different life too but, not as much anymore." 

"I'm glad to hear so." 

Patricia stopped stroking the girl's face and folded her hands together on her lap. "The Beast told me you tried to save the impure girl today." 

Casey's grew nervous. "Yes. Yes I did." 

"You have so much compassion, for every living thing it seems." 

"I can't help it."

"I know, and that's alright." Patricia assured. "It's one of the things I admire so greatly about you. It's something I've lacked.. until you showed it to me." 

"But you still hate the impure?" 

Patricia looked away. "I... I can't help it. But you, Casey, I care so much about."

"Then please, help me." Casey leaned forward, lightly touching Patricia's cheek with her hand. "Help me stop the Beast from taking any more lives."

Patricia's gaze went from lovestruck to venomous within seconds. She backed away from Casey and stood up, scowling. "You can't ask such things of me! To defy the very reason I exist! How could you ask that?" The woman nearly cried, her eyes now full of hurt. 

"Patricia, I want us all to be okay. If the Beast keeps killing, we'll have to keep running away forever!" 

"No! The Beast will rid the world of the impure! You must have faith in him, Casey!" 

"I do! He is extraordinary! He has shown me how to be powerful! I care for him just as I care for you!" Casey shouted, exhausted. "He will never be able to kill all the impure, and for every life he takes I will never be able to forgive him! Please, Patricia, I love you all so much, I don't want you to kill or be killed! No more death, please! Just stay here and live a safe life with me!" 

Patricia was silent. Her face shifted into rage then sadness then fear. Her hair flew in front of her face as she fell to her knees. "In the sun, we will find our passion." She gritted her teeth, her voice cracking. "In the sun, we will find out purpose."

Casey reached out, leaning out from the bathtub, and pushed the hair back from Patricia's face. "Your purpose isn't to rid the world of those who wronged you, Patricia. You're so much more than that." 

"No," Patricia moaned. "No I'm not." 

Casey held Patricia's face with both her hands, forcing the woman to look up at her. "Yes you are." 

Casey leaned in, closing her eyes, and softly pressed her lips against Patricia's. 

When Casey pulled away, she didn't know what to expect. Opening her eyes, she found  
Patricia staring back at her in complete wonder. 

"...You-" 

"I'm sorry." Casey breathed quickly. Before she could retreat further back into the tub, Patricia grasped Casey's face and brought the girl's lips back to hers. 

Casey's lips tasted like nothing Patricia had known before. The girl let out a muffled noise, before melting completely into the kiss. Patricia felt tears leave her eyes and fall onto Casey's face. 

Their lips separated. They looked at each other with flushed cheeks and watery eyes. 

"I..." Casey attempted to speak. 

"Casey..." Patricia murmured. "You love me?" 

"I think so." Casey gasped. 

Patricia smiled her toothy grin. "Well, sweet thing, I love you more." She wrapped her arms around Casey's' neck, pulling her into a hug. 

Overwhelmed, Casey felt herself shake and breathe uncontrollably. Patricia's hair felt silky against her skin, and her warm body felt like an ocean Casey could drown in. She realized that she was turning Patricia's dress damp. She jolted back, away from the woman's embrace. "I should dry off." 

"Ehem!" Patricia rose up, clearing her throat, "Of course dear. Call me if you need any help." She said gently before leaving the room. 

Casey couldn't believe what she had just done. Her lips still tingled. She never thought that in all her life she'd be able to feel this way about another person. Here she was, shivering in a bathtub, feeling sheer elation from kissing a woman. 

Exiting the bath and wrapping herself in a towel, Casey removed the drain stopper and watched the water slowly disappear down the void. She blew out each candle and flicked on the proper ceiling light, leaving the room nice and clean so Dennis wouldn't have a fit. 

When she stepped out into the hallway, Casey was surprised to see Patricia's bedroom door wide open. The woman stood just inside of it. She had changed into a nightgown and wore a nervous expression on her face. 

"Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?" Patricia asked unabashedly. 

Casey's mouth gaped open. "Um... I suppose I could. Let me just get dressed first." Said the girl as she sped off into her room, shutting the door behind her.

"Oh my gosh." She said aloud to herself. 

Casey wasted no time fluffing out her hair and slipping on a cozy nightgown herself. She cautiously opened her bedroom door and peeked into the hallway before fully turning the corner. Patricia was still there, waiting patiently. 

"Um... so...."

Patricia reached out to take Casey's hand. "Come along." 

She led Casey through the door and into her room. The girl stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes absorbed the space. Everything was red. The wallpaper, the carpet, the canopy bed, all a shade of deep crimson. The wooden furniture in the room was nearly black. The whole place looked like the inside of a creature's mouth. Flowers and candles decorated every surface, and most peculiarly, a terrarium was set on a table in the corner of the room. 

Casey was immediately drawn to the red-lit glass box. "What's in here?"

"My pet." Patricia said cheerfully, walking over to the terrarium. She opened the small door and reached her arm inside. Suddenly, what looked like a just a pretty decoration, a jewel, sprouted legs and crawled onto Patricia's hand. "She's a golden orb weaver spider. Her name is Melody." 

"Melody." Casey repeated, a little stunned by Patricia's calmness as a very large arachnid traveled around her hand. 

Patricia placed Melody back in her cage. "I like to sing to her. She may not be as responsive as a bird, but she's all I could find in the short while we've lived here." 

"See, I knew you had compassion in you, deep down." Casey teased. "It takes someone with a big heart to care for a spider." 

"Oh shush." 

Casey giggled, sitting down on the bed. Patricia joined her. The two sat there looking at each other affectionately before Patricia lifted up the covers and they nestled in. Just as they had done before, Patricia took one side of the bed and Casey the other. This time, it was Patricia who grasped Casey's hand and held it. 

"You truly are a miraculous thing." The woman purred. "You've given us all such a gift."

Casey gave a sheepish grin. "Likewise." 

Now they were silent, listening to each other breathe calmly in the dark room. 

"Patricia, can I hold you?" Casey spoke very quietly. 

"Hold me?" 

"Yeah." 

Patricia could hardly believe what she was hearing. "You... may." 

Casey hummed happily as she moved herself over and wrapped her arms around the woman's waist, spooning her. Patricia could feel her heartbeat soar as Casey's head came to rest just behind her neck. Never being held before, Patricia felt terrified. Her body remained stiff until one of Casey's hands reached up to caress her face. 

"It's alright." Casey soothed. "I've got you." 

Patricia closed her eyes, relaxing into Casey's touch. She had never felt love and acceptance like this during her entire existence. All this time, her devotion to the Beast had brought her only brief bouts of fulfillment. Her unwavering faith left no room for empathy. This new feeling was beyond anything Patricia had previously known. It drowned her, washing her onto the shore of a completely new land. She couldn't turn away from the pain she caused others anymore. Patricia was ready to face her sins. 

"Casey, I promise you this, there will be no more death."

Casey's heart went still. She wasn't sure that she heard Patricia correctly. "What?"

"We're going to end it. No more suffering. The Beast, he who is like my own child, must be stopped. You are right, Casey. The impure don't deserve to die." 

"You really mean this, Patricia?" 

"Yes, because you've proven to me that I am not a mistake, that I am not evil. I am a person, and I have a heart." Patricia began to cry. 

"Yes, yes you do." Casey smiled through her own tears, holding Patricia tighter. 

The two soon felt asleep, comforted by each other's love. 

\---

Early in the morning, just as the sky was turning light, Mrs Edna was awoken by several hard knocks at her door. She threw on her robe and as quickly as she could being blind, hobbled over to the front of her house. 

"Hello? Who's out there?" She called out anxiously. 

"Open up. This is the police." A man's deep voice boomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More sad stuff and fluff! :) 
> 
> Final chapter gets posted tomorrow!! See if Casey can stop the Beast!


	10. Chapter 10

Mrs Edna went still. She stood with her hand clutching the doorknob, feeling herself grow suspicious. 

"The police you say? I'm afraid I can't verify if you really are, officer. I'm blind." 

"I can assure you ma'am, we are the police, and we only need a moment of your time." 

A female officer added, "Your name is Edna Madeline Williams correct? We would just like to inform you of an incident near your home and ask you a few questions. Is that ok?" 

"An incident? Oh dear. Yes, yes please come in. How many of you are there?" Mrs Edna asked, unlocking the door and opening it wide. 

"Five of us ma'am." The deep-voiced male officer stated as he fit his large form through the door. The female officer came in afterwards and Mrs Edna could then hear three more sets of footsteps after that. 

"My name is officer Juliette." The policewoman said pleasantly. 

"Officer Bill." The said the policeman. 

"What happened? Is everything alright?" 

"I'm afraid not, Mrs Edna. A girl's body has been recovered three miles from your home." Officer Juliette spoke unhappily. 

"Oh my goodness." Mrs Edna clutched at her heart and officer Juliette placed a comforting hand on the old woman's shoulder. 

"The girl's name is Sarah Watson. Dose that name sound familiar to you?" 

"No. I'm so sorry." 

"That's alright. Sarah got lost while hiking with three other girls and we believe at this point that she died from natural causes and no foul play is involved. We just need to make sure we question all the locals in this area to be sure." 

"I understand, officer. Please, if there's any way I can help that poor child, go right ahead and ask." 

"Alright." Said officer Juliette. "Last night, did you hear any strange noises around your property?" 

"No, I'm afraid I sleep very deeply. Every now   
and again at dusk I'll hear coyotes or deer, but I heard nothing last night." 

Mrs Edna could hear the scratch of pen on paper and she understood her answers were being written down by one of the officers. 

"Alright. Do you know of any neighbors who often go walking through the woods? Dose anyone use your driveway as an entry point?" 

"Years ago there was a family with two young daughters who did, but they've moved away. It's extremely quiet here." 

"This is a big house. Do you live alone ma'am?" 

"I've lived alone perfectly well for thirty years. Once I became blind I began looking for potential caretakers but just my luck-"

A static noise pierced through the air, coming from the large officer's radio. The static formed into words. "Bill do you copy, there's been a head-on collision. We need you on the scene immediately." 

Bill clawed at his radio. "Ah um yes! Copy. Over." He looked to officer Juliette. "We gotta go, right now. We done here?" 

"Yes, I think we have everything we need to know." The female officer nodded. "Thank you for your time Mrs Edna." She said before heading out the door with the others close behind her. Mrs Edna could hear them all race down her porch and to their vehicles where sirens began to sound. The cars then sped off up the driveway and within moments the they were gone. 

Mrs Edna took a minute to compose herself. "This is so sad." She muttered while slowly feeling her way back into her living room and over to the couch. When the old woman sat down, Kitty pounced onto her lap and curled up into a warm fluffy ball. Mrs Edna sighed and pet the feline, attempting to relax and take her mind off the troubling news. The police never got a chance to interview her lovely tenants. Maybe Dennis or Patricia had heard something last night. It was strange, Dennis usually would be down by now to tidy up. It wasn't like him to sleep in. He wasn't hiding from the police was he? The blind woman began to worry. 

\---

Casey woke to the sound of sirens. When she fully came to, she found that her arms were empty. Patricia was standing at the window. She had taken off her wig and the girl could see concern clearly on the woman's face. 

"What's going on?" Casey asked groggily, rubbing her eyes and propping herself upright. "What was that loud sound?" 

"The police were here." Patricia said blankly. "They're gone now, but they were here. I need to know if Mrs Edna told them anything." 

"I think they'd still be here if she did." 

Patricia smiled, still clearly stressed. "I suppose so." 

"I'll come down with you if you like." 

"No no, she's expecting Dennis. It's his turn in the light. I will explain to him our plans to stop the Beast. He will listen to me." Patricia faced Casey and stepped over to her, cupping her hands around the girl's face and looking down at her warmly. "Tonight, we will both be free. No more death. Together we are going to banish the Beast from the light." 

Casey's lips parted, her eyes glimmered as she let out a soft laugh. "Patricia. Thank you. I know this will make everything better for us. We can start righting the wrongs. We can live an extraordinary life just being compassionate people. The broken are the more evolved, because we know pain. We can empathize with pain. We were never meant to cause more pain." Casey moved her hand to lightly touch Patricia's cheek. "I just need to make sure that you really want to do this, that you're not just doing this because you want me to be happy." 

Patricia blinked, moving her hands down onto Casey's shoulders. "I only know what happiness is because you showed it to me, dear. I do understand, however, that stopping the Beast is simply the right thing to do." 

Casey nodded. "It is." 

Patricia patted the girl on the head, grinning as she turned away, before walking into the hallway. Casey's eyes followed the woman as she went right towards Dennis's room. Casey waited until she heard the door shut to get out of the bed and begin making it. It took a few minutes until the sheets were wrinkle free, Casey all the while nervously looking over her shoulder. Finally, the room was clean. The morning light began to make everything red glow. Satisfied, Casey hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her. 

"Good morning." Said Dennis gruffly. 

Casey spun to face the man who was looking at her with a curious expression. 

"Ah. Hello Dennis. I uh..." 

"Patricia already told me why you were in her room." He said, looking Casey up and down. "I find it odd she wants you to clean Melody's cage. She never had a problem with doing that herself before." 

"Um, ha ha yeah I dunno." Casey shrugged. "She knows I like animals." 

"Well in that case you can come down and clean the cat's litter box for me." Dennis said, smiling and raising an eyebrow at the flustered girl. 

Casey and Dennis went downstairs and entered Mrs Edna's apartment. The old woman was so anxious she shot up from the couch when the door opened, letting out a cry. Dennis rushed to her. 

"Edna is everything alright? I'm sorry I overslept." 

"Oh Dennis it's awful! A girl got lost and died only three miles from the house." 

Dennis eased Mrs Edna back onto the couch and sat beside her with her hands in his. "It's alright." He assured. "I'm sure the police took care of it. This is incredibly tragic." 

"You didn't hear anything last night did you? The officers questioned me but I never got the chance to tell them to ask you."

"Unfortunately no, I didn't hear anything. She must have been too far away." 

Casey quietly stepped out of the living room and into the kitchen where Kitty's litter box was. She got through cleaning it and disposed of the full bag in the trash. 

"Casey." Dennis called from the couch. "Come here please." 

Casey obeyed and shyly stepped back into the living room. "Yes?" 

"Mrs Edna wants to know if you heard anything last night. Like cries for help?" 

"No." Casey said quickly. "No I'm afraid I heard nothing." 

The old woman nodded her head sadly. "I guess there was nothing to be done. Just such a damn shame though. It's so awful when young people lose their lives." 

Dennis rubbed Mrs. Edna's shoulders, soothing her. "It really is." He spoke somberly. 

Casey went back upstairs. She remarked to herself how good it was to see Dennis so bonded with Mrs Edna. The man definitely had empathy, so it shouldn't take too much effort for Patricia to convince him to help stop the Beast. Casey grew troubled, wondering how this plan was going to work. The Beast was only stopped once before, when Casey said Kevin's full name allowed. This would not work again, and the Beast has only grown stronger. Whatever Patricia had in mind, Casey hoped it would work. 

\---

After a couple hours of reading one of her books, Casey heard the downstairs door open. She shut her book and left her room, entering the hallway and pausing once she reached the top of the stairs. Down in the living room area, Casey spotted Dennis. The man was pacing around like a animal in a cage, clearly distressed, with his hands clenching and arms stiff at his sides. He didn't notice Casey watching him. 

"Patricia, are you sure about this? How can we go back now? We've committed so many egregious wrongs." Dennis questioned, his hand rubbing his head as he recalled all of the vile deeds he'd done in the name of the Beast. 

Abruptly "Dennis" went still and his hands folded together calmly. Patricia answered. 

"Yes, we've done terrible, dreadful things Dennis. Several people are dead because of us. If we do nothing now, many more will die too." 

"We've worked so hard to bring the Beast to life, so he could protect us and avenge the broken. You want to destroy all this now? Why?" 

"Because he won't avenge the broken. Killing the impure does nothing aside from making the Beast stronger. Those millions of other people in the world who've suffered just like us will not benefit in any way. We lied to you, Dennis. I wanted those with happy lives to feel our pain. The Beast was born from our hate, not our love." 

Dennis dropped to his knees, clutching at his head and moaning. Casey's heart ached watching the scene unfold before her. Not only was it the Beast's true purpose to destroy, but it was Patricia's evil that created him to be this way. Casey didn't want to believe anymore that the Beast who showed her such mercy and gentleness, and the woman that now loved her, were truly cruel monsters at their core. Before they brought her to this home in the woods, Casey had wanted to stop the Horde above everything else. No more killing, no more destruction. She wanted to stop the Beast and save Kevin and Hedwig. Now, she found herself wanting to protect them all, even the Beast. If it weren't for him, she may not have found the strength within herself to kill her uncle. This power the Beast was unlocking inside her, Casey knew she needed him as her guide through it, but at the what cost? As long as the Beast exists people will continue to die. Casey knew she needed to sacrifice her potential power, and her bond with the Beast, to protect innocent lives. Patricia knew this too. The woman had changed her entire faith because she found that love and compassion filled the emptiness she previously carried in her soul. The two had found something stronger than pain, and they were going to fight for it. 

"Dennis, please." Patricia spoke. "I understand that this is traumatic to hear. I made you and Hedwig both believe in a demon disguised as an angel, yes. If you are to hate me for this I understand. Just please, do the right thing and help us stop the Beast." 

"Why have you changed? What's made you change?" Dennis cried out. "I knew you were mad, I knew you liked hurting those girls. The Beast was everything to you, now he's nothing? I don't understand!" 

"I did not like hurting those girls!" Patricia spat defensively. "I believed, I believed so strongly that it was the only way to find purpose in life, and so did you, Dennis! Don't you dare point your finger at me when you just as well enjoyed having them!" 

"I might have a problem. I might be devious and sick, but Patricia it was you who did this. The kidnapping and sacrifice was ordered by you. I never wanted to hurt anyone." Dennis's lip began to quiver. "I won't let you tell me what to do anymore. Now, you want me to help undo everything? No. Not unless you tell me why." 

Patricia was silent, seething. Her eyes were alight with rage at Dennis's defiance. The woman struck a vase resting on the coffee table with her fist, smashing it to pieces. Dennis's mouth gaped open. He quickly rushed to the kitchen to retrieve a broom and dust pan. 

"Fine, Patricia. Be like that." Dennis growled, beginning to sweep up the glass shards. "I'm not going to help you. I don't trust you anyways. The Beast will bring good to the world. I believe in him." 

"You're a fool Dennis!" Patricia hissed. 

"Enough!" Casey cried, rushing down the stairs with her dress billowing behind her. 

Dennis jerked himself around to face Casey, startled and upset. 

"Dennis please listen to me! Patricia is right." 

"What?" Dennis groaned. 

"The Beast, as much as he has helped me, will help no one else." Casey insisted. "He will feed on all the impure that he can. His killing has to be stopped. Tonight." 

"Are... you the reason Patricia has changed, Casey?" 

Casey blushed, folding her arms and looking away. "I am." The girl attempted to say confidently. "I've convinced her." 

"How?" Dennis asked, fear present in his voice. 

"We've become friends. She understands now that destroying the impure young is just... wrong." 

Dennis's face crushed into anger and body vibrated with intensity. "She's in love with you, isn't she?" 

Casey's blood ran cold. How could he know? "Yes." She whispered.

Dennis looked up at Casey, the sadness in his eyes was devastating. He turned away from the girl and resumed sweeping up the broken vase. 

"Dennis-" 

"Please go to your room." Dennis snapped. 

Casey did not obey, instead she marched over to Dennis and wrapped her arms around the man. 

Dennis froze, feeling the weight of Casey's arms on his body. He dropped the broom and dust pan and started to weep. His tears fell onto his glasses, making his vision blurry. The man's sole comfort in this moment was Casey's caring presence. 

"How? How can you love someone as evil as that woman?" Dennis whimpered. "Patricia doesn't deserve your kindness. None of us do." 

"That's just not true. I care about you too Dennis." 

"You know what we've done. We've done unforgivable things." 

"Yes, and banishing the Beast from the light will be the first step in doing the right thing." Casey reached around to lightly touch Dennis's face. 

"Don't do that, please." 

Casey retracted her hand. "I'm sorry." 

"Thank you for holding me, but you shouldn't. You know what I am." 

"Dennis, I don't care. I don't think you're evil. You have a problem, but I can tell you're fighting it. Trust me, I know what real evil is like." 

Dennis sighed, turning around to kneel on the floor with Casey. They held hands now, one searching the other's eyes. 

"Thank you." Said Dennis. 

Casey smiled. "Do you trust me?" 

"Yes." 

"Then trust Patricia too. The three of us together are going to do this. Ok?" 

Dennis licked his lips, nodding. "Ok." 

\--- 

Casey, back in her room, curled up in her bed. She was not reading, instead, she stared out her window, past the lake and into the woods beyond. The sky was grey and the last fall leaves whipped about in the wind. The girl imagined climbing up the big tree, all by herself. Sitting up there, alone, without the Beast. Coldness, loneliness overtaking her. She wondered what it would be like for him, what it was currently like for Kevin, to be asleep. 

Patricia's loud footsteps preceded her entrance into the room. The woman was wearing her green outfit again. Her hair, tied up in a bun, complemented the look nicely. 

"Hey Patricia." Said Casey, sitting up. "How are you feeling?" 

"Alright." The woman answered, sitting herself down on the bed. "I'm sorry you had to witness that little spat between Dennis and I. Thank you for convincing him to help us." 

"It's no problem. I just hate to think that this kind of vicious fighting has been going on for so long between you. What both of you said to each other cut pretty deep." 

"As far as Dennis's accusations against me go, I simply would never-" 

"Patricia, it's ok." Casey raised up a hand to silence her. "I know what he said wasn't a lie. It doesn't change how I feel about you. Regardless of what you've done, or what you desired to do in the past, I still care about you." She smiled, crawling overtop her sheets to wrap Patricia in a reassuring hug. 

Patricia timidly hugged back, her arms around Casey's neck. "Thank you, my love." 

The hug lasted only a few moments before Patricia suddenly pulled Casey down onto her and they burst into laughter, rolling over to lay beside each other on the bed. 

"As long as you feel safe." Patricia hummed, twirling a lock of Casey's hair between her fingers. 

"I do. I'm afraid you don't frighten me much anymore." Casey chuckled, leaning in and placing a kiss on Patricia's forehead. 

Patricia frowned. "Not even a little bit?" She swiftly positioned herself so that she was leaning over Casey, staring down at her. "Surely I haven't lost all my ferocity." She teased. 

Casey laughed, "Alright, alright! You frighten me just enough." She playfully shoved Patricia off of her. "Now, what's our plan, how are we going to do this?" 

"Tonight, before your training session begins, Dennis and I are going to both resist the transformation. The Beast may then try to manifest through others, likely Orwell or Barry. It is your job then, to instruct them to resist. Once enough of us deny the transformation, the Beast will lose his power and gradually be pushed further into sleep." 

"What happens if they don't resist?" 

"Oh they will. None of the others wanted the Beast to exist in the first place. They will be happy to know that this is all ending." 

Casey sighed. "Alright. 

"So... what about the future?" Patricia asked shyly. "You know very well dear we will never be able to live a normal life. We will always have to hide. Do you accept this?" 

"I do. I don't think either of us have lived very normal lives to begin with, anyways. I think no matter what, now that we've got each other, it's going to be okay." 

Patricia grinned contently. "I think so too." 

"For as long as we can, I'd love to stay here and live with Mrs Edna." 

"I wholeheartedly agree. It's a beautiful place." 

"Will I get to really meet the others now? Barry, Jade, Orwell and the rest?" 

"Oh I'd love for you to meet Polly. She's a sweet little girl, younger than Hedwig. You'd also likely get along well with Mary Reynolds and Ansel I think. There's lots of us who haven't been out in ages I know would do quite well." 

"What about Kevin? Will we be able to help him?" 

"Yes, dear. Somehow, we are going to find a way to help Kevin."

\---

After Patricia left, Casey decided to wait for sunset down in the living room. The fire was comforting. She brought her book along with her and read the hours away, attempting to shed her anxiousness. Every creak in the old house jarred Casey into a state of nervous anticipation, the girl being reminded of the impending challenge ahead of her. She watched nervously as the sky drew darker and darker, afternoon shifting into evening. At any moment, Dennis or Patricia would arrive. Casey tried to stay calm, reminding herself that she wouldn't be alone. She and the Horde were united in this battle, and they were going to win. 

"It's time." 

When Dennis appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing just the Beast's blood-stained sweatpants, Casey startled. Aside from his glasses, Dennis looked like the Beast himself. His muscles seemed trapped underneath his skin and his expression was always like stone. As the man stepped down the stairwell to greet her, the firelight cast shadows across his body. Once again, Casey saw the scars that she left there. Two gunshots. Two gunshots to the chest couldn't stop the Beast. 

"Are you ready to do this?" Dennis asked.

Casey could read that Dennis was nervous too. "Yeah." She responded, getting up to walk beside the man. 

Together, Dennis and Casey stepped outside. Mrs Edna was fast asleep as usual. Kitty let out a concerned meow as Dennis passed by, but Casey pet the cat gently on the head before shutting the door behind them. 

Dennis looked grimly at Casey, letting out a strained breath. The air was frigid, the coldest it's been all fall. The barren trees twisted like witch fingers and formed obscure images as they overlapped one another. The leaves that had blown onto the porch and crinkled underneath Casey's feet were brown and decayed. 

Stepping off the porch, they began to walk to the big tree. Casey led the way with Dennis following close behind. 

"Would you hang on to my glasses for me?" Dennis asked quietly.

Casey turned around with an outstretched hand and a smile. "Of course." 

Dennis removed his glasses and handed them over to the girl. She carefully placed them into her dress pocket. 

"Thank you." 

"No worries." Casey turned away and continued walking. "Are you scared too?" 

"I'm very scared." 

"It will be alright." Casey said instinctively. 

The big tree loomed ahead. It looked even more haggard than it had before. Patches of moss and bark were missing from where Casey had clawed her path up. The great monstrosity appeared like a ancient alter, ready for its sacrifice. 

Dennis moved to stand in front of the tree, looking up at it's daunting form. He then faced Casey, a look of panic in his gaze. "I can feel the Beast. He wants to come out now." 

Casey nodded, stepping over to Dennis and putting her hands on his shoulders. "You can do this." 

Dennis looked back at Casey with a glimmer of hope before pain flashed through his eyes and he jolted back. The man let out a cry, covering his ears and crumbling to the ground. 

"You can do this, Dennis. You're strong. I believe in you!" 

Dennis could only look up at Casey for a moment before his eyes squeezed shut as another wave of pain hit him. "It hurts!" He moaned. 

Casey could do nothing to help her suffering friend. She watched as Dennis twisted and writhed, resisting the Beast's release. The man managed to stand back upright, using the tree trunk as support. He was shivering, looking sickly. Casey felt fear creep in from all around as Dennis seemed to be loosing. 

"Casey..." Dennis whimpered, "He's beating me. He's too strong." 

Casey rushed to Dennis's side. "Yes, he is strong, but you can do this. As soon as you can't, hand the light over so Patricia can take it. Right now, I need you Dennis. I need you." 

For just a few moments, from the high of Casey's encouragement, Dennis was free of pain. He pushed himself off the tree, attempting the balance himself. He took a few steps forward, but just like a deer shot through the heart, he dropped. 

Before Casey could assist the man back onto his feet, he began convulsing. She watched, helpless, as the minutes dragged on. Dennis, all the while, wincing and hollering from the pain. 

"Casey!" He growled "He's tearing me apart!" 

"Don't listen to anything he says! Don't give in!" 

"He says we're already damned... and he's not wrong! He knows all the things I've imagined doing to you, he knows I'm a monster too! There's no stopping him Casey! I have to let go!" 

"No!" Casey shouted. She ran over and locked her arms around his shaking body. "You're not damned! You're not a monster! You can do this! Please!" 

"I have to give the light over to Patricia. I'm so sorry Casey." Were Dennis's final words before his eyes closed and he returned to the room with chairs. 

Patricia opened her eyes just moments after Dennis left. Her body shook violently and she let out a frightened yelp. Casey held on tight, burying her face in Patricia's neck. 

"Casey!" Patricia gasped. "The Beast is growing weaker! We can do this!" 

Casey smiled through her tears. "Yes!" 

"He's growing more frustrated... Everything hurts, but I won't listen to him! Talk to me Casey, tell me I can do this..." 

"Patricia, you can do this. You will do this. Everything is going to be ok!" 

"Y-yes, and after all this is over we're going to live a beautiful life together, right?" Patricia choked out. 

"Yes!" Cried Casey, holding Patricia tighter. "It will be wonderful! We can garden and go shopping together! We'll go on walks in the woods! I'll hold you every night as long as you ask! I'll meet the others and we will all live happily together!" 

Patricia was openly sobbing. "Oh Casey... It's all beautiful now." 

Abruptly, Patricia stopped shaking and her rapid breathing turned back to normal. Casey, confused but suddenly feeling very hopeful, leaned back so she could study Patricia's face. 

The woman was smiling serenely, her eyes closed and tears streaming down her cheeks. Casey let out a massive sigh, relieved, believing it was all over. She looked around at the woods, a sense of accomplishment flickering to life within her. The trees no longer seemed like a cage made to trap Casey in with a monster, instead, they were spectators in a crowd cheering at the fact that no more people were going to die. 

"We did it." Casey said, feeling triumphant. 

"Did what?" A voice lisped. 

Casey snapped her head back around to see the little boy, Hedwig, smearing the tears away from his face. 

"Oh Hedwig!" Casey said, scooting back away from him. "What are you doing here?" 

"I took the light because I noticed the Beast was getting really angry. I can take the light whenever I want, remember? So what's going on?" 

"Hedwig, everything's fine. Patricia and I were just talking. Can you bring her back, please?" 

"Umm... I guess so? Wait... the Beast just told me that you guys were trying to get rid of him!" Hedwig accused, shocked and hurt. "Why? He's going to protect us! No one's going to make fun of me anymore because of him!" 

"Please... Patricia was lying when she said those things about the Beast being good. He's not good! He's just going to hurt more people unless we stop him!" Casey pleaded. 

"No! You're a lying bitch! You promised you weren't going to trick me anymore! You lied to me again and again!" 

"Hedwig no!" 

"I'm giving the light to the Beast now! He's going to stop you!" Hedwig started to sniffle and pout. "I really trusted you this time Casey."

Hedwig stood up. His knuckles turned white as his hands curled into fists. He wailed from the hurt of the change before his teeth gridded, and very quickly veins were starting to appear along his body. 

Casey wasted no time beginning to climb up the big tree to get away. Her adrenaline increased the speed of her ascent. She made it to the second branch when a fist wrapped around her ankle and yanked her back down. She screamed as she fell. Upon crashing to the earth, Casey felt something in her left arm snap. Sharp pain shot up into her shoulder as she lay there shrieking. 

The Beast circled around Casey, grunting in anger. "How could you?" He roared. "Why have you betrayed me?" 

Through her agony, Casey bore her eyes into the Beast's. "I won't let you kill anymore!" 

"The impure are asleep! They do not matter! They will never be like us!" 

"That doesn't matter! They don't deserve to die!" 

"You have so much potential, you could be as powerful as I am. To defy me is to throw it all away!" 

"I'm sorry, but I will never be like you!" Casey struggled to stand as she declared this, shakily rearing herself up. Her arm burned, but the girl refused to take her eyes off the Beast. "It's time to end this." 

The Beast, enraged and distraught at his friend's treachery, charged Casey. He barreled into her, knocking her to the ground. When Casey tried to kneel upright, the Beast kicked her back down. 

"You are going to feed tonight. I'm going to kill an impure child, and I'm going to force its flesh down your throat!" 

Casey screamed, lunging at the Beast's legs and catching him off guard enough to drag him into the leaves. The Beast snarled, snatching a fist full of Casey's hair and pulling the beaten girl into his arms. Each limb wrapped around her like a python. He began to constrict. She tried to yell but the only sound that escaped was a sad squeak as all the breath was being crushed out of her. 

"If you do not want to fulfill your purpose. You give me no choice but to force you. Conscious or unconscious, once you feed you shall break further. Maybe you were never broken enough." 

Casey hated being trapped in the Beast's embrace. It felt endless, like she could never escape the well of misery that was his body. She always ended up back in his arms, was it fated to be this way forever? Casey's vision was growing fuzzy, dark spots began to flash around the corners of her eyes. The Beast's cruel words echoed in her brain as her consciousness faded away.

~~~

Sunlight blinded Casey, she put up a hand to shield her eyes from it. Her hand was small. She was a five year old child once again. Her other hand was held in a much larger one that felt warm and safe. She looked up to see her father walking beside her. He smiled and looked on ahead. Casey followed his gaze to see the golden, shining outlines of trees along each side of them. The woods looked unearthly, like heaven. All the leaves and trunks and undergrowth shimmered like glass. Metallic golden creatures ran through the trees and splashed through the water. They looked like every animal and none at the same time. In front of Casey, was a pond of liquid light. Coming up to it, the little girl and her father halted. In the sky above, bird creatures rang out ghostly calls. Casey went from looking up, to down at her own reflection in the water. A sad looking child with big far-set brown eyes looked back at her. 

"Dad... am I going to die now?" Casey asked in her tiny baby-teeth voice. 

"No, Casey." Her father chuckled. "You are going to do amazing things." 

"But I lost!" Casey bawled, snot dripping from her nose as she broke down. "I lost! I can't stop the Beast. I don't know how!" 

"Sure you do." He said, crouching down beside Casey and pointing at the water. "You see yourself in the reflection right?" 

Casey blinked in confusion. "Yes?" 

"Do you see a monster in there?" 

"No, I see a weak girl. A helpless child." 

"Look again." 

Casey, confused, looked back down into the water. The reflection staring back at her was no longer herself, but instead, a giant buck. His eyes glowed white and brighter than the water around him. Teeth like a wolf were barred from underneath his lips. His antlers were pointed and sharp like blades. The image sent a chill through Casey's body.

"What is that?" 

"It's you." Casey's father said gently. "It's your power." 

"But it's a monster." 

"Only if you choose to be." 

Casey cautiously reached out, tapping the surface of the water with her fingers. The reflection rippled, and a sound like a chime emanated from the touch. Suddenly, Casey was leaning forward and falling through the water. The last sound she heard was her own gasp. 

~~~

Casey's eyes snapped open. The starry October night above her was the first thing the girl registered. She felt force all around her body and recalled immediately where she was. The Beast carried Casey like an infant, her body cradled against his chest. His face was grimaced like a gargoyle and his black eyes were fixated on his path. He hadn't noticed the girl he held was awake yet. 

Seizing the opportunity, Casey slashed her hand across the Beast's face, drawing blood and effectively getting him to drop her. Not holding back, she continued to throw punches at his head until one of his hands seized her by the wrist. Casey expected her bones to snap like twigs, or to be flung like a rag doll against a tree, but she remained still in her position. Her arm shook and strained against the pressure, but the Beast could not move her. Casey realized dark veins were forming under the skin of her arm. The Beast's eyes went wide in astonishment. 

"Y-you've done it! Casey! You've become like me!" 

"Yes," Casey huffed, "but there's one big difference between us." She ripped her hand out of the Beast's grip before bringing it back to smash against his face. "I'm never going to hurt anyone, and now, neither are you." 

The Beast recovered from the hit, a new rage burning inside him. "You're a killer too Casey. You can try to justify it all you want, but we are just the same." 

Casey lowered her fists, looking away. "Maybe you're right. My pain made me lash out at others. I yelled at people and shut others away who were trying to help me. I wasn't good enough to save Marcia. I killed my uncle in cold blood. Yet still, there's a big difference between you and me. My scars, they are there because all that pain and suffering I didn't want to inflict on anyone else. You, you have chosen to hurt others in place of yourself." 

"So, you are righteous because of this? No, you are just misguided." 

"I will never join you, Beast. I will never feed on the impure young. I will protect them just like I will the broken. I will never quit trying to stop you. You're going to have to kill me." Casey asserted, raising her fists again. She found that her body felt energized, and her arm hurt no longer. 

The Beast and the girl faced each other in silence for many moments. Both let out shallow breaths and fog appeared at their mouths from the cold. The Beast began to step closer to Casey, who stood with unwavering defiance. He looked into Casey's eyes, seeing that they had turned black and bloody like his own. 

"Please no." The Beast whimpered. "I can't kill you. You are the one thing in this world that makes me feel something other than hate. You make me feel love... hope. Despite this, your compassion for the impure is something I can never understand." 

"This hatred you feel, I feel it too, but it is not my purpose as it is yours." Casey replied, tears beginning to fall. "This love and hope you feel for me... is exactly what you said you can never understand." 

The Beast's face twisted into woe. "Please." He begged. 

Casey couldn't take it any longer, she ran at him, letting out a scream as all her energy flowed into this one movement. Her anger, her passion, everything all at once merged into Casey's fist as it formed. She collided with the Beast, striking him in the chest. He fell backwards, his arms outstretched, reaching for her. Casey watched in disbelief as the mighty being crashed onto the earth, his body seeming to crumble. Before the Beast could even glance up, Casey was on him. She threw punch after punch after punch, cracking his nose and his temple. Unrelenting, she beat him down until he was no longer responding. 

Coming down from her frenzy, Casey jolted away from the Beast in horror at what she'd done. She looked down at her bloody hands and realized the veins in her arms had gone away. The veins were gone from the Beast's body as well. 

"Oh god." Casey whispered. "Oh no!" 

The girl placed her fingers over his neck to feel for a pulse. A slow beat throbbed underneath Casey's fingertips, she cried in relief. 

Holding his body close to her, Casey rocked back and forth. She ran her hand over his head and down his back as she took the time to study her surroundings. Spotting the big tree in the distance, Casey then used all her willpower and remaining strength to start dragging her beaten friend back home. 

Reaching the big tree, Casey collapsed. Her frail form could no longer take the immense physical trial of carrying the Beast's limp body. Freezing, she crawled over to him and pressed her body against his to share their warmth. She whispered sweetly to him then, telling the Horde that they all were going to be ok, even if she didn't believe it herself. If they froze to death here and now, at least she would have stopped the killings. 

Patricia's dream, to live a happy life together, bubbled to life inside Casey's slowly fading mind. Death could not come now. Patricia, the woman she loved, was counting on her to make it. Dennis, Hedwig, and twenty others needed Casey to get them home safe. Her body, however, was spent. Only a miracle could save the two damned souls now. 

Before Casey lost consciousness again, a distantly familiar voice spoke up just by her ear. "It's you..." 

Casey opened her eyes. Kevin Wendell Crumb's weighted gaze met hers. The man looked confused, but not sorrowful as he had before. Hope existed somewhere in the light that glimmered off his blue irises. "You're the one they call Casey." 

"Yes, I am. I'm s-so sorry I've hurt you." 

"It's ok. You stopped the monster. The others told me he's gone." 

"Really?" 

"Yes, you broke his heart. It made him weak. Now he's asleep." 

"And you're awake." 

"I only wanted to wake up for a moment, just so I could meet you. You saved our lives, Casey. Thank you." Kevin gave a weak smile.

"Will I get to see you again?" Casey asked. 

"Maybe in a few months once things have settled." 

Casey grinned. "Okay." 

"I'm going to give the light to Dennis now, that way we won't freeze to death." 

"That would be wonderful." Casey giggled happily, albeit starting to feel numb from the cold. 

Kevin closed his eyes, seeming to be at peace. Casey closed her own eyes too, confident now that everything was, in fact, going to be alright. 

Dennis woke up to feel his face aching and his body shivering uncontrollably. Crunchy leaves scratched the exposed skin of his chest, while another tactile sensation felt soft and warm. He looked down to see Casey snuggled in his arms. Fear, followed by guilt, and finally a sense of calm and understanding flooded through the man. 

Knowing well what needed to be done, Dennis scooped the girl up. His muscles hurt immeasurably, but home wasn't that far away. He gritted his teeth, and carried Casey back to the place where they were safe. 

Dennis set Casey down onto her bed, covering her in the blankets and then rushing to the closet to retrieve more. The girl still shivered but the blue was fading away from her skin. Dennis ran into his own room to throw a warm sweater on over himself before returning to Casey's side. She had come to and was holding Dennis's miraculously pristine glasses out to him. He gratefully took them and placed them back onto his face. Casey smiled sweetly. 

"We did it." 

"Nah Casey, you did it. You saved us all." 

"You helped." Casey insisted. 

"What did it feel like? Before the Beast went to sleep, he told us you had become like him. How did you do it?" 

"It felt strange... otherworldly, but I held on to myself. I held on to the things that I love, and that was powerful enough to transform me." 

Dennis's eyes looked wet. He smiled. "Thank you so much, Casey." 

\---

Three days passed. Both Casey and the Horde had mostly recovered from their injuries. Dennis grew more sociable, spending more of his time in the light in Casey's company. The girl no longer felt hesitation with the man. Slowly, he was proving himself to be a charismatic and gentle individual. Mrs Edna hosted a delightful tea party with Patricia and Casey for a little "girl's brunch." The old blind woman suspected nothing still, and everyone coexisted happily. Patricia had explained to Hedwig why the Beast's defeat was an important thing. It took the boy a while to be convinced, but eventually he made a tearful apology to Casey, whom of course forgave him. The rest of the day was spent drawing and watching fun movies, etcetera. Hedwig agreed that being able to live a pleasant and peaceful life was "cool enough." 

That night, after Dennis helped Mrs Edna into bed, he went back upstairs to see Casey sitting on the chaise lounge by the fireplace. She wasn't reading, she was just staring into the flames. The orange light gave the girl an eerie silhouette. 

"Everything ok?" Asked Dennis. 

Casey seemed to wake from a trance. "Oh, yeah! I feel very well actually. How about you?" 

"I'm alright. Are you waiting for Patricia?" 

Casey grinned, nodding. 

"Well, then I'll let you two be." Dennis chuckled warmly, heading up to the third story. 

A few minutes went by. Patricia, in her wig and nightgown, appeared at the top of the stairs. As she descended, the end of her gown swept gracefully over the individual steps. Casey gave the woman a welcoming smile as she sat beside the girl on the lounge. 

"How are we, sweet thing?" Asked Patricia as she caressed Casey's face. 

"I'm very happy now that you're here." Casey said endearingly. "C'mon, let's to bed."

In Patricia's bedroom, Casey and the woman curled up together in the cozy red canopy bed. Casey locked her arms around Patricia in a protective embrace, and Patricia did the same. 

"I love you, Casey. 

"I love you too, Patricia." 

Together, surrounded by each other's affection and the fragrance of flowers, the two fell asleep. 

Casey dreamed. No longer in the body of a child, but as a free entity floating through space, she flew through an endless woods. Animals roamed everywhere, deer, tigers, elephants, every animal she could imagine. Arriving upon a meadow, Casey stopped to witness an interaction between a lion and a buck. Both beasts were massive and ferocious in appearance. The buck, she recognized, was from her reflection in the water. The lion was from the dream Casey had shared with Hedwig. Instead of fighting, the two creatures were playing with each other. They frolicked and tagged one another in a chase, dancing joyfully like leaves in the fall wind. Together, the two beasts existed happily in the woods, just like Casey and the Horde. Finally, the broken could rejoice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end! I hope you enjoyed reading this story! I love these characters so much and I hope I did them justice. Remember that no matter how broken you feel you are, you can still be powerful, empathetic, and extraordinary.


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